Galatians 6:2
"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (NIV)
Prayer starter:
Carrying someone else's burden may be a truly heavy-duty task, like taking responsibility for a family or supporting someone who is struggling with health or financial issues. But sometimes it may be a very small thing that can take a load off of someone else's shoulders or make the dark clouds disappear: a helping hand loading groceries into a car, a few encouraging words to a struggling mother, a card or call to cheer someone up. Christ shows us time and again that caring for others is essential for Christians, and part of caring is carrying--or at least sharing in--someone else's load. So instead of asking "Why should I do this? It's not my job.", ask yourself "Why not me? It may not be my job. But it's not a hardship for me either." You will notice that once YOU make that choice, it won't feel as much like a burden and you can help out cheerfully instead of resentfully.
The trickier part of this verse is the communication of one's burdens. I think men, in particular, have it tough. Not only are they brought up to think that they have to carry the burden for the family. They are often also taught that it is not "manly" to talk about their burdens. But it is difficult to carry someone else's burden if we don't know that the burden exists. If we see people carrying an actual load that they are having difficulty handling, most of us, I would hope, will try to help out. But non-physical burdens are not so easy to see. They need to be communicated. Don't share your burdens if you just want to be pitied or you are too lazy to handle them yourself. But if a burden is really weighing you down to the point of crushing you, consider sharing it with a friend so that he or she can help you carry it.
If you some heavy burdens weigh you down today, you might take this coloring moment to sort them into burdens you can handle yourself and burdens that may require someone else to help you carry them. If you have no burdens right now, you might think about whether someone you know may be struggling with a burden he or she is not communicating and think of a way you may be able to help carry that load. In every situation it is good to remember though that Jesus is ALWAYS there to help carry our burdens. Whether we tell him or not, he already knows.
Be Brightly Blessed!
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