Galatians 6:2 - Sharing Our Burdens.
Galatians 6:2 (NKJV) Bear one another's
burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2 (NIV) Carry each other's
burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of
Christ.
Galatians 6:2 (NLT) Share each others
burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2 (AMP) Bear (endure, carry) one
another's burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in
this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of
Christ (the Messiah) and complete what is lacking
[in your obedience to it].
Galatians 6:2 (MSG) Stoop down and reach out
to those who are oppressed. Share their
burdens, and so complete Christ's law.
INTRODUCTION
Need for Caution Yet Courage
According to today's reading in
Galatians, we please God in our relationships when we
are helpful and giving. Sounds easy"so do we
often fail to do it? (1) We become focused on
ourselves and don't want to be distracted. Life, by
itself, is pretty overwhelming. It's okay to take
care of ourselves; we just have to keep a good
balance with focusing on others so that we aren't
completely self-centered. (2) We become afraid to get
involved with other people's problems. Certain
boundaries are wise and necessary, but we must be
willing to get our hands dirty. (3) We don't want to
enable someone's problem. There's always the danger
that the person you're helping won't appreciate
it or will only ask for more. However, we are
only called to give, not to govern what is done
with the gift or judge whether it is adequately
appreciated.
From wherever you are, you can take a
small step toward how God wants you to live in
relationship with others. Maybe it means calling your
difficult family member when it's easier to stay away.
Maybe it means just being there for a hurting
friend. Whatever it is, step out of your comfort
zone and be a blessing to others. [The One Year
Bible for New Believers re Gal. 6:1-3]
COMMENTARY
God Prepares Us Individually
When God places people in your life who
are in need, He is aware of what they lack, and
He knows He has given you the resources to meet
those needs. You know God does nothing by
accident. When a need surfaces around you, immediately
go to the Father and say, You put me here
for a reason. You knew this was going to happen.
What did You intend to do through me that would
help this person become closer to You?
Recognizing a need in someones life
can be one of the greatest invitations from God
you will ever experience. Its easy to become
frustrated by the problems of others. They can
overwhelm you as you become aware of need after need.
Rather than looking at each new problem as one more
drain on your time, energy, or finances, ask God
why He placed you in this situation. Allow God
to help you see beyond the obvious needs of
others to the things He wants to accomplish in
their lives. Dont miss Gods activity because
youre reluctant to carry the load of others.
Is God blessing you materially? It may be
He is developing a supply depot in your
life through which He can provide for others. Has
God granted you a strong, healthy family life?
It may be that He requires such a home to
minister to the hurting families all around you. Has
God released you from sinful habits? Has Gods
peace comforted you in a time of great sorrow? Has
God miraculously provided for your needs? It may
be that He has been purposefully building
things into your life so that you can now be the
kind of person who will carry the burdens of
others. [Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry and
Richard Blackaby re Gal. 6:2]
God Works Toward Unity
God has designed His kingdom so that
Christians with kindred spirits join together. It is
exciting when you find another Christian who shares
the same concerns and burdens that you do!
Often, God will graciously bring another believer
alongside you who will undergird you in the work and
concerns God has placed on your heart.
God releases a powerful dimension of His
presence to His children when they unite in heart and
mind regarding His kingdom. The Bible says that
when two or more Christians meet and reverently
discuss matters concerning the Lord, God is pleased
to listen to them and to respond to their
concerns. When two or three believers agree in prayer,
God chooses to respond to their unity by making
His powerful presence known in their midst (Mt
18:19"20). When two people walked together and
discussed the confusing events of Christs
crucifixion, Jesus joined them and helped them understand
the events of their day (Lu 24:13"32).
If you are carrying concerns about your
family or your church or your friends, ask God to
bring like-minded believers around you to share
the burden with you in conversation and in
prayer. Dont attempt to bear your load of cares
on your own. You may pray about them, but you
will miss the blessing of uniting together with a
group of believers who join together to intercede
for one another and to enjoy Gods presence.
Everything God has woven into the fabric of His kingdom
promotes interdependence, not individualism. As you
face your concerns, deliberately seek out other
believers with whom you can stand and share your load.
[Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry and Richard Blackaby
re Mal. 3:16]
Why We Need to Share Our Burdens
Feelings are neither good nor bad -
theyre just emotions but they need to be expressed
appropriately to God and to a trusted friend. The Bible
says, Carry each other's burdens, and in this
way you will fulfill the law of Christ
(Galatians 6:2 NIV).
You don't have to share your feelings
with everybody, but you do need to have one
person you can confide in. Someone you can go to
and say, "Hey, can I just tell you how I'm
really feeling right now?" This is someone who will
listen, share in your pain and frustration, and then
help you move forward.
Paul gives a great example of sharing
feelings instead of stuffing them in: My friends,
I want you to know what a hard time we had in
Asia. Our sufferings were so horrible and so
unbearable that death seemed certain (2 Corinthians
1:8 CEV).
If Paul, the greatest Christian who ever
lived next to Jesus Christ himself, could be
gut-level honest about what he was going through, then
we can do it, too.
Sharing your problems includes sharing
your frustrations, fears, and feelings. We are
living in unprecedented times, and everyone is
feeling the stress of the pandemic. Weve also all
experienced losses and missed opportunities due to the
upheaval in the world. You may have missed a
graduation, the funeral of a loved one, a wedding, or
the birth of a grandchild.
You need to grieve those losses - and not
just in private. Grief is a good, healthy thing.
Its how we transition. Sharing your grief with
others keeps you from isolation and loneliness and
will remind you of Gods provision.
God created us to need each other! He
designed us to share our feelings with others. But he
also wants us to share our feelings with him:
The LORD is there to rescue all who are
discouraged and have given up hope. The LORD's people
may suffer a lot, but he will always bring them
safely through (Psalm 34:18-19 CEV).
Sharing your feelings with others may not
come naturally to you. But it is the only way to
be emotionally healthy. Find that person you
trust to help you process what youre
experiencing, and then be that friend to someone else.
[Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
A Place to Unload
This thing called life is an awfully long
journey. For some, it seems an endless trip, filled
with thankless responsibilities and relentless
tasks, disappointments and deadlines, and daily
demands.
Being imperfect doesn't help. Every so
often we make stupid decisions. We say things we
wish we could retrieve. Selfishly, we look out
for number one and later regret it. We act
impulsively and realize, after the fact, how foolish we
were, how dumb we looked. On top of all that, we
hurt the ones we love the most. All this stuff
caves in on us at certain times, and we wonder how
anybody could ever love us especially God.
When we start thinking like this, we need
to turn our mind to the "one anothers" in the
New Testament. Here's just a sampling: Love one
another, build up one another, live in peace with one
another, confess your sins to one another, speak to
one another, admonish one another, comfort one
another, pray for one another.
I deliberately saved my favorite for
last: "Bear one another's burdens" (Gal. 6:2).
Imagine two mountain hikers trudging
along, each carrying a backpack. The one on the
left has a tiny, light pack that a kid could
carry, while the poor soul on the right is so
loaded down we can't even see his head or his
body.
Let's imagine what he might be lugging in
that pack down that long road. It could be a
long-standing grudge that's poisoning his insides. It
might be a broken relationship with his wife or
one of his kids. That pack could be loaded with
unpaid bills, all of them overdue.
The question is, Where can that fella on
the right go to unload so the fella on the left
can help "bear the burden"? By sitting in church
alongside a few hundred or a couple thousand other
folks? Hardly. What he needs most is to be involved
in an adult fellowship in a small-group
setting, a place where there is person-to-person
caring and the opportunity for authentic sharing.
Where he will feel free, without embarrassment or
shame, to tell his secret or state his struggle;
where someone will listen, help him unload, and
give him fresh strength.
Adult fellowships and small groups are
not miniature church services. They are pockets
of people who love Christ and believe in
helping one another. They don't point fingers or
preach or compare. They are your brothers and
sisters in Christ.
Once you begin unloading that pack,
you'll discover how much easier the journey seems.
Are you involved in a small fellowship
group? If not, consider joining or starting a group
- especially if your load is too heavy. [Chuck
Swindoll www.insight.org.]
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Practical Ways to Bear Burdens
There are hurting people everywhere, but
at times we just don't know what to say or do
to ease their pain. Here are six practical ways
to bear someone else's burden.
1. Be there. At times the best "method"
of helping is simply to be present. During our
darkest hours, we don't need someone who tries in
vain to fix everything; we just need a friend.
2. Listen. Don't attempt to give answers
or tell people what to do next. Injured souls
frequently want simply a listening ear so they can
express what's on their mind.
3. Share. Never parade yourself as
someone who has all the answers. Instead, allow your
own pain and failures to help others.
4. Pray. There is power in speaking
people's names before the Lord. When they hear
someone talk to Jesus on their behalf, healing often
starts taking place.
5. Give. Sometimes helping others
involves more than a handshake or warm hug. Maybe
they need something financial or material. One of
the best measures of sincerity is how much we're
willing to give to others.
6. Substitute. You may know an individual
who bears the burden of caring for someone else.
If you step in and take his or her place for a
while, you are emulating your Savior--He, too, was
a substitute.
Because we were unable to do it
ourselves, Jesus bore all of our sin and sorrow, even
unto death. As a result, we can live happily and
eternally in communion with our Father. If Christ did
that for us, how can we ever say, "I'm too busy
to bear someone else's burden"? [In Touch Daily
Devotional by Charles Stanley at www.intouch.org] re 1
Thessalonians 5:14
ILLUSTRATIONS
Letting Burdens Draw You Closer to Others
Suffering changes you. It can turn you
away from self-centeredness and toward caring
more about other people in pain.
One important way you can use your pain
for good is to draw closer to others. If you're
honest about the things that are causing you pain,
then it will deepen your love and mature your
relationships and sense of community. If you allow
yourself to be vulnerable, then it will help you
build authentic relationships.
There's a sad statistic that about a
third of marriages end up in divorce after the
loss of a child. People all grieve differently,
and it can drive a couple apart.
When our son died, my wife Kay and I
decided we were going to use our pain to grow closer
together rather than let it drive us apart. We
didnt try to talk each other out of our pain. When
Kay was going through a wave of grief, I would
simply walk over and put my arm around her or just
stand by her and be quiet. There were no words to
say.
The deeper the pain, the fewer words you
use.
Our small group came over after Matthew
died. They said, "We're spending the night at your
house. We're not going to leave you here alone.
We're going to be with you." They didn't try to
give us any words of wisdom. They just gave us
the ministry of presence. They slept on our
couches and on the floor. I'll never forget how it
held us up.
The Bible says, "Share each others
burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ"
(Galatians 6:2 NLT).
You don't have to try to cheer people up
when they're grieving. Instead, try to enter into
their grief and feel it with them. Sharing in
someones pain leads to building fellowship, becoming
closer to other people, and strengthening
relationships. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
What God Can Do
I led a friend of mine to Jesus and then
became his sponsor for more than ten years. I was
heartbroken when he went back to his old lifestyle. He
lost everything - his leadership position,
relationships, business, possessions, everything. I hadn't
heard from him in a year, and I was concerned that
he might not make it back. Yesterday I told my
wife I wished my friend would call and let me
know if he's okay.
That very morning, I received this phone
message: Just wanted to call to tell you how sorry
I am and ask for your forgiveness. Some phone
numbers can never be forgotten and yours will always
be close to my heart. My wife and I are
rebuilding our marriage, and I am going to a Celebrate
Recovery group and just listening."
God is so good, isn't he? Of course, I
let my friend know right away that I would love
to hear from him, and as for the forgiveness -
it's done!
My sponsor told me years ago to never
give up on anyone as long as they are still
breathing. What wise advice! We never know what God is
going to do in someone's life. The situation might
seem altogether hopeless, but our God is a God of
miracles, a God of restoration, a God of new
beginnings.
Thank you, Father, for restoring and
rebuilding so many lives. Some are precious to me, but
all are precious to you. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional by John & Johnny
Baker]
CLOSING COMMENTARY PEARL
Sometimes love means shaving your head.
At age eight, my grandson Roman faced a serious
surgery. When he learned that a strip of his hair
from one ear to the other would have to be
shaved, Roman said, "Nope, it's got to be all my
hair or none." His dad agreed and promised to
shave his own head as well. His mom offered to
join in, but Roman vetoed that.
The day before the surgery, the family
gathered on the patio for a head-shaving party.
Roman's three-year-old sister begged to have hers
done but wasn't allowed to. When I look at photos
from that day, I'm always struck by the smile on
Roman's face. Despite his age, he understood the
nature of the surgery. I think he was able to have
that big smile because each time he looked at his
dad's bald head, he knew he was not going through
the scary time alone. His family had made their
love for him obvious.
John 3:16 tells us that, for God, love
meant giving up His one and only Son so that
people who choose to believe in Him can have
eternal life. First John 3:16 explains that the
appropriate response to such great love is to imitate
Jesus and be willing to lay down our lives for
others. We probably won't be called to literally die
for another person, but meditating on Jesus's
sacrifice makes us want to help share someone else's
burden. That might mean practical help, such as
childcare, food prep, or chauffeuring. It might mean
offering our presence, prayers, and a listening ear.
Sometimes, it might even mean shaving our head. Dianne
Neal Matthews
Faith Step: Think of someone you know who
is facing a heavy burden right now. Ask Jesus
to show you ways you can help share their load.
[Mornings With Jesus 2021 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan]
ONE LINERS
Your response to another's fall reveals your
own walk, whether it is spiritual or not.
[Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren
Wiersbe re Gal.6]
Pride will make it impossible for you to
help the fallen, but humility will bring blessing
to you and to them. [Chapter by Chapter Bible
Commentary by Warren Wiersbe re Gal.6]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Galatians 6:2 - Bear One Another's Burdens.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200724-0949.html
Galatians 6:2 - Why You Need to Share Your
Grief with Others.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200619-0832.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.revelationnow.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
