Carry Each Other’s Burdens!
I have been privileged to have Bible studies in every church I have pastored. Some of the studies like the Bethel Bible and Disciple Series have lasted one to four years. During these times, we have suffered and rejoiced with others through all kinds of personal experiences.
When you study the Bible for an extended time with the same folks, you become close to them. Together with my members, I have faced the loss of a parent and the wedding anniversary after a loved one dies. We have celebrated the birth of a child and even in one case mourned the death of an infant at Christmas. We cried and prayed together over and over again. And often, what started as a group of strangers ended up becoming a group of close friends.
The Apostle Paul urged believers to “serve one another humbly in love.” (Galatians 5:13) The community of faith seeks to correct and restore someone caught in sin, while the individual believer must always be on guard to “watch [them]selves.” (Galatians 6:1) Similarly, a group sharing together can “carry each other’s burdens.” (v. 2) Paul invites the community to individually take responsibility so they can do “good to all people.” (v. 10)
Members of the church can come alongside people in their suffering in a deeply personal way. This can bind us together, especially when we meet regularly and learn to trust one another. As shared above, Paul says in Galatians 6:2 that we are to “carry each other’s burdens.” We are to help where we can and pray for each other.
Paul says we fulfill the law of Christ (v. 2) when we love our neighbor as ourselves by helping to carry their burdens. We are called to join a group of believers who love Christ and who study God’s word. When we do this, it can become so transparent that we love each other and carry the loads of our friends. The burdens of life can be heavy, but our church family can help us carry the load.
Prayer – Dear God, thank you for walking alongside me in all that I face. Help me to love others in all ways today. Amen.
Galatians 6:2 – “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
By the Rev. Tommy Herndon
Images: Small Group Network, Meredith Spencer & Ben White, courtesy of Unsplash
