Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. For each one will bear his own load. Galatians 6:1-5 (NASB)
Restoration. Such a big word. I don’t use it much. Most of the time I hear it used in reference to home remodeling or making old things look newer. But I don’t hear it used in reference to one’s relationship with God very much. How often do we spend time restoring a relationship broken by sin?
Here’s another one. Carry. We all know what it means to carry something. I pick up many things and carry them from one place to the next. And I’m sure you’ve carried the groceries in the house or a baby in your lifetime. But what about someone else’s burdens? How often do you do that? I’m afraid I hardly ever do it. My excuse is that my burdens are big enough and I don’t need anyone else’s to make it worse for me. But at the same time, that means I don’t give anyone else the chance to fulfill Christ’s law, the love of loving your neighbor as yourself.
We are all guilty of the same thing. We believe our issues are special and unique only to us. So we don’t share. We quietly waste away on the inside from day to day with no sign of hope, believing in no hope or that no one cares, all the while keeping the burden a secret from others. What do we expect? How can the body of Christ help a hurting limb if it won’t send the pain through the nerve? The blockage is pride and we are full of it. The path that leads to restoration begins with humility.
Carrying burdens with others requires humility too. No one should believe that he’s super spiritual for the job, so much that they forget that one step in the wrong direction makes taking the next step easier. And we should not think so highly of ourselves to be too good to help someone out of the mud. We get dirty in helping dirty people out. But the mud belongs to them. It’s theirs, not ever to be claimed as ours. If that mud is familiar, remember you were washed clean from it. They bear the weight of the burden themselves, but we can help carry them to restoration.
Let’s think about it for a second. Have we been fulfilling the law of Christ? What burdens are we carrying? What are we sharing? Who’s helping you? Are you helping anyone else? The life is difficult sometimes and we all could use a little help with our burdens. The yoke of Jesus is easy and His burden is light. It takes one person to help lift the heavy yoke off to help the other begin carrying a lighter one. What will you do?
Leave a Reply