BURDEN BEARERS
by Pastor Lem Niere
“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”
Galatians 6:2.
How often many church members come to church burdened by the cares of life. Perhaps the burdens they carry are due to finances, marriage, friendships, a problem at work, a family member who is rebellious or who is running from God, a death in the family — the list of potential problems people face goes on and on.
It is quite sad that many churchgoers come to the worship service feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders. These people wish that someone would help them or pray with them, but no one ever asks how they are doing. Never having an opportunity to tell anyone what is happening in their lives, they leave a service just as burdened as they were when they walked through the church.
Have you ever been so burdened by the cares of life that you thought you might be crushed by the weight of it all? Did you wish someone would crawl under that load and help you carry it? In Galatians 6:2, the apostle Paul tells us, “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Answer this question:
The point the apostle Paul is making is that when a fellow believer is under a crushing load—when he or she is under so much pressure that feels like its unbearable, we got to help carry it. It is our Christian responsibility to help bear each other’s burden.
I want to encourage each one of us to be sensitive to the needs of others around us. When you go to church, go to work, or even spend time with your family and friends, ask the Holy Spirit to help you see when people are carrying too much by themselves. If you discern that they are burdened, go to them and ask,
Remember, coming to church to worship is half our duty. The other is to help someone in need because of burdens too heavy to bear. You may ask how the person is doing. Give a word of cheer, comfort, or encouragement. Your own load of burden is lightened when you look after the welfare of others!
God may use you to bring real relief and freedom into someone’s situation. Perhaps just providing a listening ear is all that is needed to help that person get through his or her dilemma.
As brothers and sisters in the Lord, we need to do everything we can to step deeply into people’s lives in order to encourage and refresh them spiritually and to help them get through their problems. When we see someone struggling, we must be bold enough to ask how we can help!
