Burden Sharing

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2 NIV)

Our instinct is to hide them.  Our nature is to pretend all is well when it is isn’t.  Our bent is to attempt to carry our burdens alone.  Often we are embarrassed by our weakness or feel ashamed by our perceived lack of faith.  The reasons are many, but the result is the same: we try to shoulder the weight of our lives on our own.  The question we should be asking ourselves and others doing the same is: “How’s that working for you?”

On college campuses throughout our nation suicide is a growing problem.  One of the reasons is students do not seek help with what is troubling them.  Their Facebook pages portray happy lives, but omit the struggles.  They don’t let their friends in on what is really going on. And, sadly, sometimes they have few, if any, real friends to lean on even if they were so inclined.  

Depression and anxiety among students are at unprecedented levels. Excessive alcohol consumption continues to be a problem for many on campus.  One can almost feel the weight of their burdens in these trends.  

Sadly, what is typical for the culture has become typical for the Church. We, too, tend to want to shoulder our burdens alone, to pretend all is well when it isn’t.  And the results are similar as in the world—affairs, pornography addiction, depression, and, yes, suicide.  Yet, as Paul alludes to in this short command, the Christian community should be a place where burden-sharing and burden-bearing should be the norm rather than the exception.  It is the law of Christ that we should carry one another’s burdens just as He carried ours on the Cross.  

Life is hard and full of burdens, and we see the effect of them on people every day.  If Christ is our example and His law dictates that burdens be shared, then should it not begin with those of us who claim to be His followers?

Today, if you have a heavy burden weighing on you, find someone with whom you can share it.  And if you know someone who is carrying a burden, let her know you are willing to help bear it.  For if we believers don’t demonstrate how to best handle the burdens of life, who will? 

© Jim Musser 2015