Devotions: The Burden of Community

 

Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2 New American Standard Bible 1995

 

We are called, as fellow believers and heirs of God, to help one another. God created us to live in community for this reason. When someone is struggling we need to help them, yet this does not simply mean to take them a meal when they are sick or to give them a hug when they are sad. It also refers to those who lack spiritual strength, who are either young in the faith, lack maturity or knowledge, or have a scruple of conscience. The word burden can also be translated authority, so this verse can be broadened to apply to many different groups of people. We should help those who need physical help: an old lady needing her lawn mowed, a new mother needing help with the baby and other children, an injured man needing groceries, etc. We should also help lift up those who are down emotionally: who have suffered loss, pain or difficulty. The idea of bearing a burden carries with it the picture of oxen in a yoke, the pair help each other pull. We can help those in authority: wives can help their husbands with decisions and the burden of responsibility for family and work, encouraging pastors and doing what we can to serve the church, and assisting others like teachers and policemen who are in places of authority. However, I believe this verse is mainly calling us to help those weak in the faith: to instruct those who are new believers, to encourage those who doubt, and to support those who are burdened with “conscience.” This last phrase refers to those who are offended by “Christian liberties,” who see Christians doing things that tradition or society would deem as wrong for a believer, but is not accounted sin in the Bible. Dancing is one such instance. Alcohol is another. If we know that someone in our church family has an issue with those, it is our duty not to tell them how they are wrong and we are free to do it, but rather to refrain from it in their presence. If we can freely do something that the Bible does not call sin in good conscience, we are at liberty to do it, but we should never do something that causes another to stumble. Drinking alcohol, for example, is not sin in itself (though the Bible clearly states that getting drunk is), and we are free to do it, but should refrain if we are around someone who struggles with alcohol, especially if they have battled alcoholism. Our rights and freedom should never come at the cost of another believer. Instead we should do what we can to help them grow (and not by instructing them how to use their liberty) by leading them closer to Christ so that they can make those decisions with Christ’s guidance.

How can you bear another’s burdens? Who is there whom you could help in some way? What liberties might God be calling you to give up for the sake of another?

 

 

 

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Translations of Greek and Hebrew words taken from blueletterbible.org