Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal 6:2 NIV) It’s our duty as believers to help bear each others’ burdens.
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Gal 5:13-14 NKJV)
The first person with whom we share our burdens, after receiving Christ as our Savior, is with the Lord Jesus. He truly removes our burdens by removing all of our sins, and by continuously cleansing us from unrighteousness.
The troubles in this life are diverse and seem unrelenting at times. In the midst of pressure and heartaches of various kinds, people can stumble. Even devout followers of Christ may worry and grieve over their circumstances—to the point of feeling crushed by them. This is why it is so very necessary for Christians to help one another with their burdens, problems and cares.
An important side note is to remember to guard our hearts and minds when supporting another person or family through difficulties so that we’ll remain nonjudgmental and humble.
We can’t always remove the stressful circumstance, but we can always provide support to our brothers and sisters in Christ. This can be done in practical ways, as well as through spiritual approaches.
PRACTICAL METHODS:
We can offer to help the brother/sister by running errands or babysitting. If prompted by the Lord, we can give a gift of cash. It’s considerate to phone the person or couple who’s in stress several times a week to let them know that we’re thinking of them, praying for them, and that we care about them. Take the person or the family out to lunch or dinner to give them a temporary relief from the stress. Or you can be more real by inviting them to your own home for a meal. Depending upon the nature of the trial a friend is undergoing, we can be sensitive to practical things that we can do to relieve some measure of pressure from their daily walk. If an emergency requires long-distance travel and the person can’t afford their ticket, we can help them to raise the money as the Lord leads us.
SPIRITUAL WAYS:
We should pray faithfully for the brother or sister (or family) that is experiencing challenging circumstances. Enlist other believers to join you in praying for the person or family in crisis. From time to time, we can send an encouraging greeting card to our brother or sister, and mention an uplifting Scripture verse in a note. We might make an appointment with our Pastor to inquire if there is any project or fundraising plan that the Church members might undertake that would assist the person or family who is in distress. We can do some research to see if there are organizations or programs available that could assist the person or family who is in trouble. If anything appropriate is discovered, we should give them the information.
Showing our heartfelt concern and support for a person or family who is experiencing stress of any form is a loving, godly, biblical way to bear one another’s burdens. It is also obeying the Scripture that instructs us to love our neighbor. God approves of our demonstrations of His love through our serving and helping our fellow believers.
Lastly, if anyone who is reading this is experiencing a calamity, please never be ashamed or reluctant to ask your brothers and sisters in Christ for help, prayers, and support.
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