1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load. (Galatians 6:1–5, ESV)
According to this passage, three elements are found in a gospel community. When all three are found together, the church becomes an environment of true life change. The first, which we saw last week, is that a gospel community restores others.
2. Bears Burdens of Others (2-3)
The second thing a gospel community does is bear the burdens of others in the church. Restoration involves one person doing hard work to help another, but bearing one another’s burdens is more reciprocal (2). Sometimes, you carry a burden for someone else in the church; other times, they carry yours.
As I’ve already mentioned, Paul knows all of us “will have to bear (our) own load” and do our “own work” (4-5). Jesus gives each of us a load to bear—a calling, a life task—and we must bear that load. So what does Paul mean here when he tells us that it is good for us to bear one another’s burdens?
When Paul said we must bear our own load, he used a word that meant our own pack, but when he said we should bear one another’s burdens, he used a word describing a notably heavy load. Jesus said his yoke is easy, and his burden is light—that’s our own load (Matt. 11:28-30). But Jesus also said the storms of life sometimes beat down upon us—those are our burdens (Matt. 7:24-27).
You might understand if you’ve ever gone on a long backcountry backpacking adventure. Everyone must be strong enough to carry their own pack filled with shelter, food, and water. Everyone has their load. But if someone in the group sprains their ankle or becomes ill during the trip, they now have a burden, and the others in the group need to help carry it.
So, what are some burdens believers might suffer? What events and circumstances should others in Christ jump in to address?
Illnesses or injuries can undoubtedly be burdens. It is a huge challenge when we are temporarily weakened or permanently diagnosed. It takes us a while to adapt—if we ever can—and we need others uniquely when we’re in the throes of illness or pain. Meals, rides, encouraging notes, phone calls, visits, or help around the house can all be helpful during these burdens of the body.
Financial distress can also be a burden. The book of Proverbs, a book that highlights personal responsibility throughout, ends with a virtuous woman who “opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy” (Prov. 31:20). And when poverty comes suddenly into a fellow believer’s life, it is good for us to do what we can—as we have the opportunity—to alleviate their burden (Gal. 5:10).
Grief is another significant burden believers often encounter. Death is a shock, leading to a period where those grieving need the space and support to go through it. It requires sensitivity, of course, to help someone with this burden, but do not distance yourself during times when someone grieves. Reach out. Call them. If they want space, they can let you know, but the testimony of many is that they needed their believing friends while they grieved.
Some among us endure the burdens of leadership. I heard someone describe the pressure leaders bear as similar to how pressure per square inch (PSI) increases the further down into the ocean a scuba diver swims. At the bottom of the ocean, the pressure is intense. Likewise, many leaders feel increased pressure, and though they must trust God, what we see is that bearing the burdens of others is good. In one New Testament episode, even Paul the mighty Apostle was distressed because he had to confront the Corinthian church. And when Titus arrived with good news, Paul’s burden was lessened (2 Cor. 7:5-7).
In our modern time, many of us will become burdened by being marginalized for our faith. Many work environments are fraught with risk for holding biblical views. For this, we need to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matt. 10:16). Still, there will be times when our fears become actual burdens. When that happens, Jesus said we should rejoice and be glad because our heavenly reward is great (Matt. 5:11-12). Still, it is certainly a blessing when brothers and sisters in Christ come to our aid while here on earth.
And sometimes, our burden is a weight of guilt. The Psalmist said, “For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me” (Ps. 38:4). And when our failures and shortcomings weigh down upon us, it is so, so good to hear the loving words of a believing friend, not dismissing sin or destroying us with it, but pointing us afresh to the cross, the place where our burdens are finally lifted.
But many burdens overtake us. Paul saw it as fulfilling the law of Christ, otherwise known as “the law of love,” to mitigate the weight others bear (2, 5:14). When we carry the burdens of others, we are imitating our Lord, the one who carried our burdens when he took up his cross.
But none of this will happen without a measure of humility. And Paul knew that, which is why he said, “For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself” (3). When we are conceited, though we might not ever say out loud that we are better than others, our self-deceived self-importance will keep us from bearing others’ burdens. The truth is that we are all nothing without God’s saving grace. Everyone needs Jesus; no one is above anyone else. And when we realize this about ourselves, it helps us care for others.
I remember a conversation I had with a trusted friend at the end of last year. Though ministry and life were flourishing, I felt emotionally drained. As we talked, he compassionately lifted my burden by reminding me that in the previous year, I had spent lots of time doing ministry on the road, that my oldest daughter had gone away to college, and that my wife had started working more than before to help pay for it. He reminded me of those changes, helped me see that my feelings were normal, and then began to encourage me. But before he spoke to me, I couldn’t see why I felt like I did. His burden-bearing love helped me tap into God’s love and find the restoration I needed.
Next week, we’ll examine the third element in a gospel community.
