Galatians 6:2 AMP
Bear (endure, carry) one another’s burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it]
PERSONAL COMMENTARY
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Yes, sometimes it isn’t easy to endure someone else’s moral faults – but I try to remind myself how much people have forgiven me for in my own life.
At times, I find myself grumbling about what someone else is or isn’t doing at work, home, church, wherever – and it’s such a dark and dirty place to let my mind go to. So why do I even let it go there?
This is a struggle for me at times. And I ask myself, at what point do I step in and do something about it?
And is the problem really the other person, or is it my attitude? In some cases it is just my attitude, but in other cases it is both. So I should fix my attitude first, then if my attitude is corrected and the problem still exists in the other person’s actions, I should offer loving and gentle guidance if and when it is appropriate for me to do so.
But I have to fix my attitude first.
I’m really struggling with this. Especially when I see situations where multiple people are being negatively affected by one person’s actions, and where the attitudes of a group is being brought down by the actions (or idleness) of a few or of one.
Yes, sometimes our murmuring is justified from an early/worldly perspective when we are carrying the weight and one person knows but refuses to do their part, and it begins to affect the others if the disease is not either healed or cut out. Spiritually, I should be wondering how I can either heal it or cut it out the disease before it spreads even more death -,not grumbling about the person. However, knowing how to best do this isn’t always easy.
2 Thessalonians 3:7-12 AMP
For you yourselves know how it is necessary to imitate our example, for we were not disorderly or shirking of duty when we were with you [we were not idle]. Nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and struggle we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden or impose on any of you [for our support]. [It was] not because we do not have a right [to such support], but [we wished] to make ourselves an example for you to follow. For while we were yet with you, we gave you this rule and charge: If anyone will not work, neither let him eat. Indeed, we hear that some among you are disorderly [that they are passing their lives in idleness, neglectful of duty], being busy with other people’s affairs instead of their own and doing no work. Now we charge and exhort such persons [as ministers in Him exhorting those] in the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) that they work in quietness and earn their own food and other necessities.
Harold J. Ballinger 