Good Morning Friends,
“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you
who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also
may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill
the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he
deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride
in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should
carry his own load.” (Galatians 6:1-5)
There seems to be a contradiction in these
few verses. In verse 2 there is the admonition to “carry each other’s burdens.”
Then in verse 5 the instruction is for “each one should carry his own load.” So
which is it, carry each other’s burdens or each be responsible for his own?
It’s actually both. The word “load” in verse
5 refers to a small load that one person is capable of carrying – like a
soldier’s backpack. It is his individual responsibility. The word “burden” in
verse 2 speaks of something larger, a burden that is too heavy for one person
to carry, a load that must be shared with others or it cannot be handled.
Both are true and needed admonitions. We each
do have our individual responsibilities. We must learn to carry them for
ourselves. It’s not healthy to take the tasks away from others that they need to
learn to handle on their own. Learning to handle them on their own is a part of
the growing process in Christ.
But there are also burdens too large for a
person to carry by himself. If they are not shared, they will either be dropped
or crush the one trying to carry them. I need help from my brothers and sisters
in Christ when faced with those burdens! And I’m thankful for others who help
when I need them.
It’s not a contradiction, but it is a tough
balance to keep in our own lives and to apply to the lives of others.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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