Bear One Another’s Burdens
“Bear one another’s burdens, and you will fulfill the law of Christ.“ (Galatians 6:2)
Love and Lordship in Focus…Christ’s Law is the Law of Love. We must first love God with all that we are and the overflow of that is love for our self that causes us to love just as Jesus did…giving ourself away to love and bear the burdens of others.
So after telling us to serve one another in love, stop biting and devouring each other, and to not become prideful, provocative and envious of others, Paul closes out his “one anothers” in Galatians 6:2 with this wonderful reminder of love…”Carry each other’s burdens…”
Remember, as we have just celebrated Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, that Christ carried the greatest burdens that we could ever have…and that we could never get rid of on our own…sin, death and hell. We are to love as He loves us (John 13:34-35)! What does that look like?
May each of us be willing to reach out and lift the burdens of others through serving, giving, prayer and encouragement… however we are able and given opportunity and access to do so let us follow through. That may be simply listening and praying. It may be actually helping and serving with physical labor. It may be Godly counsel and mentoring and more.
However, be sure to heed the warning given right before the command to carry each other’s burdens…be careful that when you are helping to restore (part of burden bearing) that you don’t fall into temptation. Part of this burden bearing is reaching out to help restore those who’ve sinned while also being very careful that we don’t become prideful and fall into sin (Galatians 6:1).
I pray that we would cast all our burdens on Christ because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7) and then look to Him to show us what burdens He wants us to help carry for others in His love for all of us and through us to one another.
Food for Thought…Burden bearing is a major part of God’s love for us and ours for one another. It is certainly not easy but as with every part of our obedience out of our love for Him it is worth it.
Love in Action –
- Read the Scriptures in this article and ask The Holy Spirit to teach you Who Jesus is.
- What does it look like for you to cast your burdens on The Lord? Can you testify to how God has carried your burdens?
- Out of His love for us, how can we show that love to others? In what ways can you carry the burdens of others?
- How might carrying others’ burdens cause you to fall into temptation?
Love and Lordship Prayer Focus…Heavenly Father, thank You for forgiving me and in Your love for me carrying burdens that I am unable to carry. May I show Your love for me and others by helping to carry their burdens and I ask that You keep me from temptation and sin as I do so. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.