“But each one must carefully scrutinize his own work [examining his actions, attitudes, and behavior], and then he can have the personal satisfaction and inner joy of doing something commendable without comparing himself to another. For every person will have to bear [with patience] his own burden [of faults and shortcomings for which he alone is responsible].”
Galatians 6:4-5 AMP
https://bible.com/bible/1588/gal.6.4-5.AMP
A friend sent this to me this week, and a few things popped out when I read it in the Amplified version. First it tells us to carefully examine our own actions, attitudes, and behavior. Carefully-not glossing over these things. Then the word “attitudes”. This popped out because it is the only thing mentioned there that people can’t see. They can see our actions and behaviors, but they don’t know what is going on inside at the time. We tend to keep our actions and behaviors one step above our attitudes, especially if we don’t like something.
The verse goes on to say that this will lead to “personal satisfaction” and “inner joy”- two things others don’t care if you experience. So essentially you are not watching your attitude to impress others but to help yourself feel better. The verse ends with reminding us that we alone are responsible for those things we need to work on and improve-no one else. We are so dependent on what others think about us that we forget it doesn’t matter. We are not there for them. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks about the job you are doing. The only one that matters is the One who put you there. You can survive each day trying to please others, but you can thrive when you focus on remembering it’s God who put you there and letting Him work in and through you.
Nae's Notes 