Weekly Word Archives

One Another Series

Bear One Another's Burdens

(CLICK YOUR BROWSERS "BACK" BUTTON WHEN FINISHED)

This is the result of a challenge issued by a very godly, older man who has been in the ministry for 40 years. He challenged us to do a study in the New Testament of the “one another” passages. I did that study and came up with quite a list of ways God calls us to relate to each other. The study made a real impact in my life and I hope that it will in yours as well. I would encourage you to look up the Scriptures in your Bible and see how God may want you to apply them to your circumstances in life.

Some translations say "carry’ or "forbear". It means to support as a burden, to hold up, endure. Again, all that we do is done in context of the Bible as a whole. We bear with each other in love, etc. Also, we must remember that we do not try to carry each other’s burdens in our own self-effort, but from the power of the Holy Spirit. How much lighter is our load as Christians when we all help each other carry those burdens! We know that God is the one who carries all of our burdens, but He has chosen to use us in the process.

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Colossians 3:13

Carry each other’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the Law of Christ
Galatians 6:2

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Romans 15:1

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

We can look at these verses from the perspective of reaching out to another Christian, but there is the other side of that coin. The other side is receiving help from other Christians who God wants to use in our lives. I would like for you to think about this idea of receiving. It is part of God’s plan for us as the body of Christ. We function together, not independently. This concept is the opposite of self-sufficiency. The world esteems self-sufficiency but God never exhorts us toward it. His exhortation is toward dependence on Him.

To give up this quest for independence and self-sufficiency means changing the direction of our lives for many of us. It means receiving help from others. It may even mean asking for help. It means being integrally linked together with other Christians so that forward motion in the body comes through a combined effort in harmony and unity. We give up going independently towards our own agenda. We are sensitive to give to others in need, but equally important is that we are open to receiving from God through other Christians according to our need. We must be willing to recognize and acknowledge our needs (not necessarily our wants or desires).

I heard Malcolm Smith say, "God’s provision for us is already in place. He is our provider. But our problems give us the opportunity to see His provision. We are to be willing to see His provision as another Christian coming alongside of us to help "carry the burdens." We are to see that opportunity as God Himself coming to provide for us." I would ask you to consider not only reaching out to help another but also reaching out to receive help.