Today’s reading is Galatians 6.
“Oh, I don’t want to be a burden.”
Why not?
How will any of us ever learn to bear one another’s burdens if nobody is ever willing to be a burden? Look, here’s the thing about this. God isn’t dividing Christians into two camps: Camp #1: Burdens and Camp #2: Burden Bearers. This is a one another activity. We all spend time in both camps. Sometimes we are in both camps at the same time.
Sometimes I’m the burden. Sometimes I’m the burden bearer. I’m not a better Christian because I hide my burdens away, pretending all of life is a stroll in the park, because I don’t want to burden anyone. Paul calls it bearing a burden for a reason. It does weigh us down. It does burden us. On our hiking trip, when you break your leg and the rest of the group has to divvy up your pack to carry it out and some of us have to haul you on the makeshift stretcher, it’s a burden.
But, that is what being disciples together is all about. Bearing one another’s burdens and thus fulfilling the law of Christ. Don’t miss that. We aren’t protecting one another when we refuse to be burdens. We are actually keeping one another from fulfilling Christ’s law. After all, Jesus bore our burdens to the cross.
Oh sure, we all know the person who seems to be an entitled mess who relishes in being a burden on every one else all the time. If that really is you, then repent and learn to bear burdens. But that isn’t the problem for most of us. Most of us struggle to share burdens, then we die inside all alone. Don’t be that person. Oh yeah, and don’t expect everyone else to read your mind. When you have a burden that needs sharing, let people know. We’ve got all kinds of people who want to bear your burden with you if they only knew.
Be a burden. Bear a burden. We can do this together.
Tomorrow’s reading is Galatians 6.
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Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family
- What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
- Why do so many of us balk at sharing our burdens with others?
- What kind of burdens do we have that we can share with others?
- What kind of burdens do others have that we can share with them?
- What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?
Read the Bible 