How To Think About Yourself
Gal 6:3-5 C:\JAMMc2011\Gal6-3TAB.USE.wpd Aug. 07, 2001
NAS Gal 6:3-5
3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have {reason for} boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.
5 For each one shall bear his own load. (NAS)
NIV Gal 6:3-6
3If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
4Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else,
5for each one should carry his own load.(NIV)
NKJV Gal 6:3-5
Gal 6:3-5
3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For each one shall bear his own load.
NKJV
Introduction
Many people do not think properly about themselves. Too many let other opinions affect them, and some elevate their own thinking about themselves. These verses can give us some help.
1. How To Think About Yourself . . Properly. v 3
3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
A. The . . Penitration of Deceit. v 3 a
“. . . For if anyone thinks. . .”
B. The . . Poverty of Deceit. v 3 a
“. . . he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Illustration Topic: Deceit Index: 3705-3709 Title: Chickens Coming to Roost
John Smith was a loyal carpenter, working for a very successful building contractor who called him into his office one day and said, "John, I'm putting you in charge of the next house we build. I want you to order all the materials and oversee the whole job from the ground up."
John accepted the assignment with great enthusiasm and excitement. For ten days before ground was broken at the building site, John studied the blueprints. He checked every measurement, every specification. Suddenly he had a thought. "If I am really in charge," he said to himself, "why couldn't I cut a few corners, use less expensive materials, and put the extra money in my pocket? Who would know the difference? Once the house is painted, it will look just great."
So John set about his scheme. He ordered second-grade lumber, but his reports indicated that it was top-grade. He ordered inexpensive concrete for the foundation, put in cheap wiring, and cut every corner he could, yet he reported the purchase of much better materials. When the home was completed and fully painted, he asked the contractor to come and see it.
"John," said the contractor, "what a magnificent job you have done! You have been such a good and faithful carpenter all these years that I have decided to show my gratitude by giving you this house you have built, as a gift!" --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited pp. 288-289.
Application
All of us could think incorrectly, and that is not proper.
2. How To Think About Yourself . . Purposefully. v 4
4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have {reason for} boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.
A. Purposeful . . Examination. v 4 a
“But let each one examine his own work,. . . “
B. Purposeful . . Exclusion. v 4 b
“. . . and then he will have {reason for} boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.”
Illustration Top: Pleasure Ind.: 3200-3201 Title: Self-Dest. Freedom
There is no slave like the man free to do as he pleases because what he pleases is self-destructive. A California psychiatrist recently complained that four out of every ten teenagers and young adults who visited his medical center have a psychological sickness he can do nothing about. According to the Los Angeles Times it is simply this: "
Each of them demands that his world conform to his uncontrolled desires. Society has provided him with so many escape routes that he never has to stand his ground against disappointment, postponement of pleasure and the weight of responsibility -- all forces which shape character." The psychiatrist adds, "If the personality disorder persists far into adulthood there will be a society of pleasure-driven people hopelessly insecure and dependent."
Application
Thinking about ourselves purposefully makes us think about ourselves as God does.
3. How To Think About Yourself . . Productively. v 5
For each one shall bear his own load.”
A. The . . Personal Productivity. v 5 a
“For each one. . .”
B. The . . Privileged Productivity. v 5 a
“. . . shall bear his own load.”
Illustration Topic: Progress Index: 999-1000 Date: 10/1997.7
When most people try to gauge success, they judge it according to how little failure they find. If they see flops or fumbles, they say, "He sure has messed up a lot. He's a failure." But that's exactly opposite of how successful people see failure. They already know what the editors of Fortune magazine found out several years ago when they analyzed successful people. Most successes failed an average of seven times before they succeeded. You see, the more you try the greater amount of failure you are likely to experience, and the greater amount of success. I don't know about you, but I'd rather reach 90 percent of my potential with plenty of mistakes than reach only 10 percent with a perfect score.
Illustration Topic:Progress Index: 999-1000 .Title: Losing Less
The scene was the campus of the University of Florida in the early 1960s. The football team was in practice session. They were running wind sprints for conditioning. One of the large linemen, Jack Katz, who played tackle, had proven himself to be the fastest lineman on the team. Katz walked up to coach Ray Graves and asked if he might run sprints with the faster backs. Permission was granted. For the next several days Katz managed to finish last in every race with the backfield runners. Nobody was surprised. The coach asked if he wouldn't rather be a winner with the linemen than a loser in the competition with the backs. Katz responded, "I'm not out here to outrun the linemen. I already know I can do that. I'm here to learn how to run faster; and if you've noticed, I'm losing by a little less every day."
Conclusion
When architect Frank Lloyd Wright was asked at age eighty-three which of his works he would select as his masterpiece, he replied, "My next one!"
4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.