Bearing Burdens Biblically Part 2: Bearing My Own Burden

In last week’s post, we took a look at the command in Galatians 6:2 to,

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

But then there’s verse 5, which states,

“For every man shall bear his own burden.”

So, what do we do with this apparent contradiction? As with all Scriptural puzzles, we simply dig a little deeper.

First, let’s take a look at the context. Here is all of chapter 6 up to the verse we are focusing on:

“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

For every man shall bear his own burden.” 6:1-5

Of course, to really dig into the context, we should look at the rest of the chapter, as well as the book of Galatians as a whole, but that would be too long to type into this post, so I’ll leave that further research up to you.

But even with these five verses, we can get an idea of what is being discussed here. In the first place, burden bearing is connected to those who have “been overtaken in a fault” who are repentant and in need of restoration of fellowship in the body of Christ. But so often as Christians, our pride gets in the way, convincing us that it is beneath us, or not our job to take struggling (but repentant) Christians under our wing, to encourage and support them as they seek to follow God.

It is easy to write off those brothers or sisters in Christ who have failed in their Christian walk, and are trying to get back on their feet again, especially when it seems like an ongoing cycle of failure. But that is literally what we are commanded to do.

Notice also that, while we are to bear one another’s burdens—those heavy things that weigh us down—we are also to bear our own burdens.

This bearing of our own burdens is connected with the idea of work, and I think a look at the Greek word will give us an even deeper understanding of what is going on here. I am no Greek scholar, but the Strong’s Concordance can be a help when wondering just what a particular word is actually supposed to mean in a verse.

Unlike the word translated burden in verse 2, the word here in verse 5 has the sense of a burden or load in the context of service or obligation. It appears in two other places in the New Testament:

“For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.” Matthew 23:4

“And He said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! For ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.” Luke 11:46

These of course are times when Jesus is speaking of or to the Scribes and Pharisees, who were supposed to be experts in the law of God, but who had added to God’s original commandments until the original intent was lost in the maze of their additions. Instead of pointing the common people to God’s ultimate plan of redemption, they made the law about doing, keeping them distracted from relationship with God under the heavy burden of keeping the law.

And this sense of carrying a heavy responsibility or task is what is expressed in Galatians 6:5.

“For every man shall bear his own burden.”

It might seem like subtle difference, but it helps clarify the contrast in these two similar verses. We are to bear one another’s heavy burdens of trouble, like sorrow over sin and the desire to be back in fellowship with God and others, but we are each to bear our own responsibilities and tasks within the body of Christ.

Instead of contradicting verse two, this statement of expectation that Christians bear our own responsibilities actually reinforces the earlier command.

Let’s take a look at one more verse before we move to our application:

But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.” v.4

Back to our Strong’s definitions: this word, prove, means to test or try. Work here really does mean work, in the sense of toil, effort, or occupation. So, we in the body of Christ are to work, and we are to examine our efforts for Christ in light of the command to be humble in verse 3. A discerning look at our service for Christ will give us ample reason to point to the power of God at work, instead of drawing attention to our own feeble efforts. This is the same humility that looks at a fallen but repentant Christian and sees him or her with compassion, as Christ Himself sees each of us sinners saved by grace.

No one is beneath our notice in the body of Christ, and our focus in burden-bearing should not be on what we are doing or have done, but on what Christ has done.

But back to bearing our own burdens: what does this look like?

I have several friends who are particularly good at bearing my burdens, but for all the compassion, prayer, and Biblical counsel they give, they cannot make me have victory in my walk with Christ. It is right for them to carry those burdens with me, but in the end, I have to do my part—whether it’s submitting to God’s will instead of complaining about it, or choosing to get back to the place of closeness with God that I have drifted from, or making things right with someone I’ve offended, or whatever it might be.

Other Christians may bear the emotional weight of your burdens, but you are still responsible to follow through with the Holy Spirit’s next step in that situation.

Of course, God never calls us to something He is not ready and able to empower us to do! We are not alone in bearing the weight of our burdens in service for God, for we have God Himself to help us!

Dear Reader, is there a responsibility or task that God is asking you to do that seems like a burden? Lean into it, bear that burden, and you will find that Christ Himself bears it with you.

“Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

 Matthew 11:28-30