Bearing Burdens

They come in all shapes and sizes, but every one of us have burdens to bear.

Sometimes we long to help bear the burdens of others but we get so consumed with our own heaviness that we sit down and not fulfil the law of Christ-His love, forbearance, compassion. God’s Word instructs us to help our sisters carry things that are too heavy for them to bear alone, but if we are only focused on ourselves how are we living in His ways?!

Trials come out of nowhere and blind us to everyone around us. We tend to become selfish and look at only what we are going through and fail to see our sister barely crawling under the weight of the world. I am speaking from many years of experience here. I am an expert of thinking of only me. That breaks me to know how many times I lost out on the blessing of sharing the love of Christ by helping a sister out.

How can I get my eyes off of myself and on the needs of my sister? What is weighing me so down that I cannot even look past the raging storm around me? Is it sin I’ve partaken in? Am I holding a grudge and letting bitterness and unforgiveness overtake me? Am I grieving over the death of a loved one or the loss of a friendship? Am I suffering physically and pain is ingulfing my body and consuming my mind? Am I letting fear and despair of what might happen or what did happen bring me down? Am I filled with pride to think that I don’t deserve what I am facing? I’ve got to search my heart daily to see if there is anything that isn’t pleasing to my Lord. I need to make sure I’m not thinking more highly of myself than I ought to think.

Spoiler alert….It’s not all about me! It’s about Him and living my purpose to love like He does.

 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

Taking on the cares of another while we are carrying our own may seem dumb. That’s just gonna be too heavy for me. May I remind you of a Man who took on Himself the form of a servant?! He humbled Himself. He became obedient-even unto death for a crime He did not do. He took the weight of our sin upon Himself to make a way for someone like me to have freedom, life, liberty, and joy in the midst of pain. He bids me to come to Him, cast my cares on Him. This Man wasn’t concerned with all He left to come to this earth. All He thought of was me! Me! Why!?! Because that’s just who Jesus is!

Oh how can I get my mind off of me? How can I be like Him and bear the burdens of my sisters?!? How can I turn my eyes upon Jesus and look full in His wonderful face? Here are some things I have to remind myself daily to do….

1. Remember where my help comes from. Psalm 121:2 “My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” He is my burden bearer and nothing I bring to Him with make Him buckle under the pressure. When I come to Him, He gives me strength to carry on, help in the weight of it and peace that passes all understanding. So if He is my help, then I can know He doesn’t ask too much of me to bear the burden of my sister. She deserves the same help and comfort I’ve received.
2. Remember grace. 2 Corinthians 12:9 “…My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Grace-when I am so weak from the cares of my own life and I look to Him, His goodness helps me to show the same lovingkindness and strength to my sister. My eyes turn to Him and I see more clearly on the needs of others.
3. Remember prayer. John 17:9-15 “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them….Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are…..I kept them in thy name….And now come I to thee….that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves….I have given them thy word…I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” Here we have Christ praying on the behalf of everyone of us. We can be like Him and go to our Father for our sister who is going through the fire. His Joy fills us when we pray for someone else. It changes us. Our true character is revealed when we intercede and bear the burdens of our sister.
4. Lastly, Remember love. Colossians 2:2 “That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement to the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;” When we take on the things that our sister is concerned with, it gives them comfort. It has a way of knitting our hearts together with them in the love of God. We have unity and how pleasant is it for us to dwell together as one!?! The fullness of love brings comfort and assurance that they can make it through this trial. ….Oh love of God, how rich and pure, how measureless and strong, It shall forevermore endure, the saints and angel’s song…. Lord, help me show that kind of love to my sister.

My friend, let’s come to the feet of Jesus. Not alone, but with the burdens of our sister.