ARE YOU A BURDEN BEARER?

 

By Danelle Carvell                                                    

We are given countless opportunities to display the love of Christ by bearing one another's burdens in small ways and in big ways. 

What have you done lately to step in and take the weight off of someone's burden? Do you worry only about your own burdens and ignore what others are carrying? The Bible tells us that we should look for ways to alleviate the stress in people's lives. But exactly how should we be doing that? 

In Galatians 6:2 we are told "Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." The word "bear" in the Greek means "to take up or to carry." And the word "burden" can mean "weight." This verse is telling us that we should be taking up or carrying away the weights that others are carrying. 

We can't expect others to carry things that God has asked us to be responsible for. God expects us to work and take care of our families. There are limits to what we should expect others to do for us. But we still need help and encouragement while carrying our personal loads. 

This could mean helping someone who is dealing with a health or financial issue. It could mean helping someone get back on track when they are caught up in sin. The world is a tempting place, and many of us get lured into things like addiction, sexual sin, or other types of wrong behavior. 

To me, this verse simply means coming alongside someone in support of what they are going through. It means blessing someone by letting that person know you care. It's not just about doing things for someone. It's also about the things we say when someone is obviously hurting and struggling.

Have you ever gone to someone with a burden and received a total lack of concern? You are already feeling hurt and beaten down and the person you go to for comfort offers zero empathy. You were hoping for a soft place to land, but instead you were rejected with a cold shoulder. Do you know how that feels? 

That felt bad because you didn't receive the love of Christ in that moment. We are supposed to care when people we love get hurt. We are supposed to care when anyone gets hurt. And that is what this verse is telling us. Love other people in the way that you want to be loved and cared for. 

I have carried many burdens in my life. And I will never forget the people who stepped in at just the right time and gave me an encouraging word, or help with my finances, or good advice that got me back on track. I will never forget the people who saw my need and showed up to help. 

The person who showed up with a big empty trailer when I moved after my divorce, the person who gave me a place to stay when I was in transition, the person who offered me a better-paying job, the person who said just the right thing to lift my spirits and keep me going for another day...those people were my burden bearers. 

We all have within us the ability to bear the burdens of others, and we live in a time when people are very much in need of comfort, reassurance, help and hope. I thank God for people who take that verse seriously and live out their faith in ways that people can see, hear and feel the love of God in action. 

When we carry one another's burdens, we fulfill the law of Christ.