Paul counseled the Galatian Christians to “Bear one another’s burdens”. In other words, when believers experience times of emotional, physical or spiritual struggles the love of Christ will give us the grace and desire to pray, help, support, encourage, and if needs be share in their suffering. Let’s begin by looking at what bearing one another’s burdens is not! It is not about being entangled in a guilt ridden, driven, or demanding relationship that makes your peace and well-being dependent on being able to control someone, please someone, or gain acceptance from someone. In this type of relationship, it is easy to become someone’s savior or idol. God never meant for us to be anyone’s savior, because the Lord Jesus Christ is the only true and legitimate Savior who can heal and change hearts. We are not responsible for fixing another’s conscience, and It is unhealthy spiritually and emotionally when we feel or think it is our responsibility to solely care take and save someone! When you take on the unhealthy role of being someone’s co-dependent savior, before it is all over, you will fall short of their expectations, and then you will become their Judas. To truly bear one another’s burdens in the Spirit of Christ, requires walking in the Spirit of Truth, loving the Lord with your whole heart, loving yourself as He loves you, and abiding in our Lord’s compassionate love and understanding. When we bear one another’s burdens in the Spirit of Christ, we do not walk in condemnation and intolerance towards those who are struggling. Reaching out to those who are weak, hurting, or struggling sometimes goes against our natural man’s ego, which says: anything weak, painful or disagreeable we will avoid! Yet, our spiritual inner man is not afraid to step forward in courage because of the illuminating light of the Holy Spirit. We will be gifted with the Spirit’s fruit of strength and gentleness to be concerned- strength and gentleness to love- strength and gentleness to listen- strength and gentleness to care- strength and gentleness to cry and feel the emotional pain of our brothers and sisters in Christ, as we shoulder one another’s load. In order to receive the grace we need to be used as wise servants of God, we must be free of all arrogance and walk in humility. If we think we are too important to stoop down to help another, we are living in deception. The Love of God living within us empowers us to fulfill the law of the Anointed One as we carry each other’s weaknesses and troubles. Let everyone be devoted to fulfill the work God has given us to do with excellence, and we will discover joy in doing what’s right and being who we are- forgiven, accepted, and connected in heart, soul, and spirit to the Most High God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
“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]. For if any person thinks himself to be somebody [too important to condescend to shoulder another’s load] when he is nobody [of superiority except in his own estimation], he deceives and deludes and cheats himself. But let every person carefully scrutinize and examine and test his own conduct and work. He then can have the personal satisfaction and joy of doing something commendable without boastful comparison with his neighbor. For every person will have to bear (be equal to understanding and calmly receive) his own [little] load of oppressive faults]” (Galatians 6:2-5 amp.). List Table 2
