Burden Bearing

We all have burdens. They are things that weigh us down and wear us down. Many times we try to bear these burdens alone, and they begin to get the best of us. What really helps is for a true friend to come alongside of us and help us bear our burdens.(Galatians 6:2) In fact, this verse commands us to "bear one another's burdens." That means it is a reciprocal action of at least two people. Sounds like a healthy relationship to me. What do you think?

It is a simple principle. When the weight is too heavy for one person, two people working together can pick it up easily. The same is true for the burdens of life. If friends will just bond together in close relationships, so they can share their burdens and then, bear them together, the load is much more bearable.

This does not mean that we do not take our cares to the Lord. We must do that first. It does not mean that we do not deal with our burdens in the power of the Holy Spirit. That is essential. However, God's design is for us to draw near to Him and to each other through the process of burden bearing. Then, we get the help we need from the Lord and other believers around us.

This is how we fulfill the law of Christ. I believe that means the Golden Rule. We should treat others, as we want them to treat us. Of course, we would want help when we were sinking under the weight of a burden, so we should be ready to give that same help to others. Then, everyone gets relief, and God's will gets done through relationships. See Relationships Matter!

Tomorrow, I intend to read Ephesians 3-5.

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