The book of Galatians reminds us,\u00a0as the people of God,\u00a0that we are to help, support,\u00a0and bear\u00a0each other\u2019s\u00a0burdens.<\/p>\n
Galatians 6:1\u20132 \u2014\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>1<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.\u00a0<\/em>2<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>Bear one another\u2019s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The context here\u00a0is someone who is\u00a0trespassing or\u00a0sinning against the Lord. Whenever you\u00a0have to\u00a0confront someone it is hard\u00a0and\u00a0a burden. It can\u00a0often\u00a0be done in pride,\u00a0not gentleness,\u00a0as you don\u2019t want to bear the weight of helping your brother or sister spiritually.<\/p>\n The idea of restoring someone,\u00a0or\u00a0mending someone,\u00a0is like a fisherman\u2019s net\u00a0being\u00a0mended so that a weak point is strengthened.<\/p>\n This doesn\u2019t just apply to someone who is sinning, it also applies to those who are suffering\u00a0as 1 Corinthians points out.<\/p>\n 1 Corinthians 12:26\u201327 \u2014\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>26<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.\u00a0<\/em>27<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>Now you are Christ\u2019s body, and individually members of it.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Romans also affirms the importance of being one body,\u00a0because what happens to one\u00a0part\u00a0impacts\u00a0the whole.<\/p>\n Romans 12:5 \u2014\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n We are to bear\u00a0each other\u2019s\u00a0burdens,\u00a0so that there is more\u00a0than one shoulder under the weight of life.\u00a0 We\u00a0are strengthened by one another and able to bear up under the weight\u00a0of the suffering of this world.\u00a0We are to do this,\u00a0because\u00a0we are members of one another as the body\u00a0of Christ. This is what He calls and commands His followers to be marked by.<\/p>\n We are to be marked by the Law of Christ.\u00a0Here are\u00a0examples of what Jesus calls us to and points us to in God\u2019s\u00a0word.<\/p>\n John 13:34 \u2014\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>\u201cA new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Galatians 5:14 \u2014\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, \u201cYou shall love your neighbor as yourself.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n James 2:8 \u2014\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, \u201cYou shall love your neighbor as yourself,\u201d you are doing well.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Simply put\u00a0bearing others\u2019\u00a0burdens is loving people.\u00a0This means being willing to sacrifice your comfort to serve someone else, not just physically, but mentally, emotionally,\u00a0and\u00a0spiritually.<\/p>\n You can\u2019t go help your friend move a couch right now, but you can call your friend and see how this season is taking a toll on them and their family. You can reach out and shoulder a bit of the burden of life by\u00a0showing\u00a0that\u00a0you care,\u00a0that\u00a0you love them,\u00a0and\u00a0that\u00a0you want to know how they are responding\u00a0to\u00a0and processing everything going on.\u00a0You can\u00a0pray with them and\u00a0remind them of wonderful truth from God\u2019s word,\u00a0so that they are strengthened.<\/p>\n I am reminded\u00a0in the Old Testament\u00a0how Jonathan came out to the wilderness to see David when he was on the run for his life from Saul.\u00a0 There is a small phrase that was meaningful to David and should be meaningful to us. It says in\u00a01 Sam. 23:16,\u00a0\u201c<\/strong>And Jonathan, Saul\u2019s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n It is\u00a0important\u00a0to have people\u00a0in our lives who are comfortable sharing their burdens\u00a0with us\u00a0and\u00a0also\u00a0people that we are comfortable sharing with as well, so that we\u00a0can\u00a0all\u00a0be\u00a0strengthened in the Lord and so that we all fulfill the Law of Christ.\u00a0It may be difficult to start\u00a0if you have not been accustomed to having conversations like this, but now is the time to do so even if starting is awkward and uncomfortable.<\/p>\n It\u00a0helps us start by remembering that\u00a0Jesus didn\u2019t just give us that command.\u00a0He personified that\u00a0command by loving us and bearing our burdens at the cross.<\/p>\n Christ\u00a0is\u00a0the\u00a0ultimate\u00a0burden carrier\u00a0as these passages remind us:<\/p>\n 1 Peter 2:24 \u2014\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Matthew 8:17 \u2014\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: \u201cHe Himself took our infirmities and\u00a0carried away our diseases.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n He became weak,\u00a0so that we could be secure and strengthened. He didn\u2019t just grab a corner.\u00a0He took the full weight of our sin in our place.\u00a0Because Christ bore the weight of your sin on the cross, we are freed to fulfill the law of Christ\u00a0and\u00a0lovingly\u00a0bear each other\u2019s burdens.<\/p>\n So,\u00a0each day, each week,\u00a0as the body of Christ\u00a0we can reach out to others and\u00a0in small ways\u00a0share the burden of life with them and strengthen one another in the Lord, because of the love of Christ.<\/p>\n So,\u00a0my question\u00a0to you is\u2026\u00a0Who are you\u00a0going to strengthen in the Lord today?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"