In Galatians 6:2, Paul commands the young Christian church of Galatia to carry one another’s burdens as it fulfills the law of Christ. Have you ever thought about what that means or how that is to be applied to our lives today?
The Apostle Paul was not only an extraordinary missionary, but he was also very mindful of who he was writing (or preaching) to and knew the influence the Greek and Roman culture had over the new believers in Galatia, many times contrasting and muddying his message. Many members of the Jewish party taught that salvation for the Gentiles only came from certain legalistic religious practices and that they had to adhere to Mosaic Law. This is why we see the later part of Galatians 6:2 state, “as it fulfills the law of Christ.”
The point to drive home here is that Paul’s letter to the church of Galatia addresses a vastly different stance and informs new believers that justification is by faith alone, not by works or keeping to the Mosaic Law. Furthermore, he explained that, through Christ, we are given the freedom to serve God and live in a manner that pleases Him based on the Holy Spirit that dwells inside us.
This message still rings true today and speaks directly to us as believers, bearing a solemn reminder to not be swayed by outside influences that will try to misinterpret or confuse God’s Word. So, with that, let’s dig in and discover what Paul is trying to say to the church of Galatia and to us. Then, let’s learn how we can faithfully carry one another’s burdens in a way that fulfills the law of Christ and honors God.
If we are commanded to carry one another’s burdens, a few questions immediately come to mind:
Who is involved?
What burdens are we exactly talking about?
How are we to carry these burdens?
As women, we have a lot going on! Raising our families and tending to everyone’s needs is an all-consuming job, so the thought of adding more “burdens” (let alone by someone outside our family) may sound a bit intimidating or completely overwhelming. Then again, in retrospect, when we see a dear friend struggling, we may innately feel this nurturing need to rescue her and can easily overstep, causing an adverse reaction. Yep! It’s a bit of a delicate balance we must play here. So, let’s pause and seek to gain a little clarity.
All throughout the New Testament there is this underlying theme to “love one another.” As the Body of Christ, we are meant to walk beside one another and extend encouragement, service, and accountability to help each other grow in our faith. This is what we call sisterly love.
Well, part of those loving interactions we exchange as sisters in Christ is to carry one another’s burdens. Paul is telling the church that just because we are in Christ doesn’t mean we won’t face temptations or trials. In fact, it’s a certainty. We will either be burdened by temptation that can lead us to sin or by a life-altering situation that can cause a downward spiral mentally and emotionally.
So, while we are commanded to step out in faith and help, this action step must come with a bit of vulnerability and needs to be covered with truth and grace.
Galatians 5 sets the stage for us in how we are called to live by the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25) and serve one another in love. Galatians 6 continues with that message, adding the importance of community and the impact that fellow faithful believers have on our lives, and, in turn, our impact on theirs.
Truthfully, we were never meant to do this life alone. God calls for us to invest in one another, and this is exactly what Paul is instructing us to do in Galatians 6:2. To carry one another’s burdens means to lift and remove the sin or situation (a.k.a. burden) off your fellow sis and hold it for her! Even if for a brief bit, this allows her to catch her breath and gain wisdom.
This starts from a place of vulnerability as we share our hearts and seek to gain trust so we can speak love and truth into our precious friend’s life. Then, as the Lord leads, it’s about being intentional and praying for discernment on how to carry her through. It’s redirecting her back to absolute truth and finding ways to meet her needs so that she can embrace hope and feel God’s love.
Friend, we must also realize that this “burden carrying” goes two ways! We aren’t self-sufficient; we all need help at some point in our lives, whether we struggle in our marriage and are tempted by sin, or we are facing a painful loss and being consumed by grief. There will be moments in our lives where we need our sisters to step in and help. We just have to soften our hearts and let them in, allowing them to be the hands and feet of Christ.
Carrying one another’s burdens is a huge responsibility, but if we aren’t receiving and offering this intentional interaction with grace, truth, and humility, the enemy will sabotage and taint it with pride, comparison, or even disappointment.
While it would appear Paul is contradicting himself in Galatians 6:5 when he states each of us should carry our own load, all it is simply states is that Jesus is our ultimate burden bearer. As we seek wisdom and discernment from the Lord, we are able to distinguish whether we are to lean into Him for comfort and peace or allow others to come to our aid. Please don’t allow the lies from the world to tell you otherwise.
2 Corinthians 8:9 also reminds us that carrying a burden for a sister or allowing a sister to carry one of our burdens requires generosity and must be approached with gentle humility. As we pray and ask God to use us to help others, He will take our rich blessings to bless others. In time, God will use others to bless us. Such a beautiful exchange!
1. Surround yourself in a faith-filled community. Even if that means a few other sisters in Christ that you trust who will walk you through the highs and lows of this life, cling to those girls!
2. Embrace vulnerability and share your struggles with one another openly and honestly.
3. Be available and willing. Whether that means to provide a meal, help with childcare, give a financial gift, or sit at a coffee shop over a heartfelt conversation.
4. Realize that carrying is not “fixing” or “rescuing” your fellow sister but rather making her burden light and manageable. It starts with a posture of prayer and then allowing God to use you in a way to love her through a difficult season.
5. Lead each other back to the truth found in the Scripture and put judgments aside. Grace and forgiveness should flow easily as you allow God’s presence to guide you both.
Take a moment to lift up your heart to the Lord today and ask Him to reveal how you can carry a burden for a sister in need or make room in your heart to be carried by a beloved friend.
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