Reclaiming and Rebuilding

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. – Galatians 6:2

Whenever we realize that a believer is away from God and he is caught in a sin, Paul tells us that not only are we to take our doctor’s bag to his house but reminds us that our bedside manner is extremely important. He tells us not just what to do, but that we are to honestly and lovingly confront that believer, and he tells us how to do it: “...restore that person gently...” (Galatians 6:1). One of the biggest problems the church has today is that we shoot our own wounded. That is why people dealing with sin in their life don’t come back to church.

In addition to this problem, we also have a tendency to see only the best in ourselves and the worst in everyone else. That is why we need to restore burdened believers not just gently, but humbly. Paul encourages the Galatians to do the same, saying, “But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted,” (Galatians 6:1). Any sin a believer can fall into is a sin every believer can fall into. You don’t want to approach a hurting person with a pointed finger, but rather with a helping hand.

As Paul continues in verse 2, he shifts gears from one type of burden to another, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ,” (Galatians 6:2). The assumption behind this verse is that we all have burdens, and God never intends for us to carry those burdens alone. Did you know that one of the ways God helps us bear our burdens is through the believers He has brought into our life? One of the responsibilities of family members is to bear each other’s burdens. When you are bearing burdens, you are really sharing blessings. No believer is ever a burden to another believer. If you refuse to allow others to share your burden, you are robbing them of the blessing of bearing your burden. Let us be a body of believers who show tender loving care to the burdened believers around us as we reclaim them and rebuild them with the love of Jesus Christ.

Dear Lord, thank you for giving us a community of believers so that we can help carry each other’s burdens. Give us the grace and compassion we need to extend a helping hand, reminding each other that we are not alone. In Jesus’ name, amen.