Contemplative Bible Reading

Galatians 6:4-5 (New Living Translation)

4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.

I have always liked to be the best—the best speller in the room, the best math quiz answer-er in the room, the best writer in the room, the best whatever-it-is-we-are-doing in the room. Sometimes this has been good for me, most of the time—in hindsight—it has been bad for me.

The trouble with being the best is that it requires comparing myself to others. If I am good at something, and everyone in the room is also good at it, I am not the best. If I am so so or even bad at something, and everyone else in the room is awful at it or doesn’t even care enough to try, I am the best. Hence, best doesn’t imply good or anything other than comparing.

And now we have the verses above:

• pay attention
• do well
• be satisfied

If I do these, I won’t need comparison.

Well, uh, er, yeah but, but, but…but nothing. Heed God’s instruction. Do no more.