Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
Bear one another’s burdens
One of the ways that we give to others is to share in the things that are a burden on them. In fact, Paul says in Galatians that this is fulfilling the law of Christ.
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
The Law of Christ
What is the law of Christ? Well, when I read this, I immediately thought of when Jesus is having a conversation with a lawyer and He sums up all of the Law into two commandments.
And he [Jesus] said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37-39
What kinds of burdens are we talking about?
I think there are lots of burdens (sickness, death of a loved one, loss of a career, etc) that we can help people with, but the whole passage in Galatians 6 that surround this verse isn’t talking about those things.
All around Galatians 6:2, the passage is addressing church people who are caught in sin. However, it is not focused on the actions of the sinner, but those of the other church people around them.
Bear one another’s burdens – no pride allowed
When we are instructed to bear one another’s burdens in Galatians, it is talking about how we handle those who are found to be stuck in transgressions. We know (maybe everyone knows) they are doing something wrong.
According to Paul, now is not the time for us to think highly of ourselves. Pride has no place here. We are not allowed to compare our actions to those of others.
We are to love them as ourselves like Jesus said. Give them grace and mercy. We are to bear one another’s burdens in the midst of their disgrace and surround them with love and support.
Not the first place my mind goes
Ouch! This is not my first inclination. Paul is stepping on my toes. This is a harder level of giving to others than most of us consider when we think of generosity.
As we move farther into Lent, God is working out our giving muscles with this challenge from Galatians.
Action Step:
Our Focus today is GIVING TO OTHERS!
Giving to Others: Offering our money, time, or talents to help those in need. Finding some way to enrich the lives of others and think of other people rather than yourself.
Is there someone in your church or life that has been outed as being in sin? Perhaps they have been ostracized or whispered about.
How can you bear one another’s burdens in this specific situation? What can you do today?
Prayer:
Dear God, thank You for never giving up on us. Help us not to give up on our brothers and sisters in Christ. Remind us to bear one another’s burdens rather than gossiping about them or judging them. Show us how to reach out to show the love of God to everyone. In Jesus’ name, amen.
