Bearing Burdens Biblically

Galatians 6 contains two statements that appear at first glance to be completely opposite. We are told,

“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” v.2

And then a few verses later we read,

“For every man shall bear his own burden.” v. 5

I have always heard this explained as context dependent: sometimes we need to bear one another’s burdens, and sometimes we need to let others bear their own. That isn’t necessarily wrong, but in digging a little deeper into these verses this week, I found a few details that bring these two concepts into sharper focus.

We’ll look at verse 5 and bearing our own burdens next week, but today let’s focus on bearing one another’s burdens:

“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

The word translated burdens here in Galatians 6:2 has the idea of something weighty, something that pulls or presses down. It could also be defined as heaviness, weight, and trouble. It is used in  Matthew 20:12, (the parable about the laborers) to describe those who worked the whole day, having “borne the burden and heat of the day.”

It is also used in 2 Corinthians 4:17 to create a comparison we often miss:

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

The beautiful contrast between the lightness of our affliction when compared to the weight, or heaviness of the glory awaiting us is a blog post for another day, but you get the sense of the word’s meaning.

So, according to Galatians 6:2, what kind of burdens are we supposed to carry on behalf of others?

The things that are heavy.

The things that weigh them down.

The things that trouble them.

It might be a wayward child, an unsaved loved one. It could be a health diagnosis, or the day-to-day heaviness of life with a chronic illness. It could be a burden for a specific group of people, or simply a heaviness of heart over something that God has allowed or not allowed. The possibilities are as varied and diverse as the lives and personalities of the individuals that make up the body of Christ.  

How do we do this? I think Jesus gives us the best example:

Christlike compassion

A quick read through the Gospels will show you the heart Jesus had for people. Time after time He saw a group of people, or a specific person, and had compassion on them. If we want to be Christlike burden-bearers, we need to let the Holy Spirit give us that Christlike compassion for our fellow believers.

Prayer

I was struck this week by Jesus’ conversation with Peter in Luke 22. After telling Peter that Satan would “sift” him, Jesus said, “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not:” v.32

When our brothers and sisters in Christ are weighed down with troubles or sadness or even battling temptation, we can help to bear their burdens by praying for them and pleading with God on their behalf.

Self-Sacrificial Love

Of course, Christ’s ultimate example of sacrifice is His death on the cross in payment of our sins. But throughout His earthly ministry, His self-sacrificing love for others can be seen. Let’s look for a moment at Matthew 14. Jesus at this point has just heard of John the Baptist’s death:

“When Jesus heard of it, He departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed Him on foot out of the cities. And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and He healed their sick.” vv.13-14

In compassion, Jesus set aside His own sorrow and desire for solitude to meet the needs of others. Though it is true that physical and spiritual rest and nourishment are important, there are times when God prompts us to put aside our own desires, comfort, or even what we see as needs in order to bear someone else’s burden.

But the key to bearing one another’s burdens well is not in our effort or natural strengths or abilities, but in our relationship with the Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit to show us whose burdens to bear and how to bear the burdens, but we also need Him to empower us to bear the burdens.

Dear Reader, burden-bearing is God’s work, and we need His power to do it as we ought. Take some time alone with God, and ask Him to guide you as you seek to bear “one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

 “This is My commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”

John 15:12