Bear Each Others Burdens

"It's none of my business" is not in the Bible.


Galatians 6:1–2 (ESV) Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Paul as usual toward the end of his epistles starts to get practical.  Here he talks about those we know who are trapped in a sin.  And our job is to be spiritual EMT's to each other.  

We cannot ignore someone else's faults.  I know we want to.  We want to be "nice".  We want to be "friends" who never "offend."  But the commandment of scripture implores us to reach out and touch another person who's life is under bondage to sin.  

Cain was dead wrong: We are our brother's/sister's keeper.

The hard part of this deal is what Paul says in verse 2.  It is that we bear one another's burdens.  It is the hard work of ministry to restore those in sin.  I know this very well, I've been in the trenches. 

And I think we hold back because of our hyper "do not judge me" mentality in America.  Plus, we have our own deal to work out.  We aren't perfect.  But listen very carefully... you can't wait till you have your act totally together to help out a brother or sister!  You need to care for one another and carry one another's burdens even when you've got a few of your own.

The word, "restore" in verse 1 is the Greek term for setting a bone.  I find that particularly interesting.  It's letting us in on a reality of church life.  We are members of a BODY.  We are not individual "Christians" who go our separate ways.  If one part struggles, we are all affected.  This is how we are to represent our Lord in His command from John 14 to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.  Love is seeing a break in someone's life and doing the hard work of restoring them gently.  

Help us Lord to live this out!

PRAYER:
Father, I know the temptation is out there in our world to ignore the sins of others.  That we have somewhat overdone it on the "Do not judge" side of things.  But may I, may we, may your church be diligent in good deeds for one another even when it's hard and difficult.

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