Carry My Burden

July 2, 2022- Carry My Burden

Galatians 6:2 “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (NIV) We can easily understand the directive to carry a burden or load. We think of a physical task, like carrying a grocery bag for an elderly person to their car. I believe the Apostle Paul wants us to think deeper here than just carrying a physical item for someone. What is the law of Christ that Paul is talking about? It would be found in the second of two greatest commandments that Jesus gave in Mark 12:29-31- love your neighbor as yourself. Great, carrying that bag of groceries for an elderly person is simple. But what about burdens that we cannot see? How do we help carry our friend’s burden with mental health? Now you are thinking. Many burdens are not physical. Many burdens lie in the heart, soul and mind of person. These burdens like mental health are much harder to spot and we fumble and bumble and fail at trying to help others carry these burdens. I have a couple of directives today. First, if you are carrying an unseen burden, plead with God t give you strength to share your load with one or two trusted individuals God will make clear to you. Second, if you are being directed by God to be a burden carrier, ask God to reveal to you who you could offer to help. Read Exodus 17. Moses went up on the hilltop with Arron and Hur. God used all three of them together to hold up Moses’s staff. The enemy was ultimately defeated by God in the story, but the method was in the powerful support of the partners. Together they worked to obey God’s directive about holding up that staff. Be a burden carrier; it fulfills the law of Christ. “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12

Blessings,

Ellen