Why we don’t always like religion

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. — Galatians 6:1

This one verse, if stood alone, has made too many of us fall away from religion. The first phrase on fire is “you who are godly.” It’s followed by “humbly help that person back onto the right path.”

Who is godly? Some of us can put a check in that box. The overwhelming majority of us, however, are not godly—or we are not godly for long. The right path Paul mentions coupled with temptation can create distance, not unity.

But Paul confesses he struggles with sin. He says we all struggle with sin. In Romans 7, Paul shares the things we Christians despise are the very things we find ourselves doing. No matter how much we may wish to serve God in our minds, we sin in our bodies.

Romans aside for just a moment, the next two verses in Galatians 6 speak to not only why we need religion but also what we do in religion. Paul says, “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.”

Truth pill from Paul, and we are best to take it.

Religion is in danger when one verse is lifted and the whole is left behind. Dear brothers and sisters, rather than react with an eject button, let’s respond with the desire to know (and to love) more.

PRAYER: Lord God, help us help others by sharing each other’s burdens. Let Your law of Christ, which is love, continue to unite not divide us. Amen.