Bearing Your Own and Others’ Burdens!

Bearing Your Own and Others’ Burdens!

When there is talk of bearing the others’ burdens the tendency is to think of earthly needs such as we read about in verses 9 and 10. When Paul wrote this epistle there was much poverty and also much sickness everywhere. Regarding earthly needs, these exhortations are appropriate: “Let us not grow weary,” and “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all . . . .” It says, “As we have opportunity.” These opportunities often come and go very quickly. You will be too late if you are not awake. How rich life becomes if you have a desire to do good and make use of the opportunities.

Paul exhorts further: “These things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.” Tit. 3:8. “And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.” V. 14.

However, the spiritual need is also great, and if we can learn to bear each other’s burdens in the spiritual realm, then we are God’s servants. The spiritual need is the real need. If it is met, then all need is actually being met.

You have to be able to bear your own burdens first if you are to be able to bear the others’ burdens. A burden is put on me when I am treated unjustly. The human reaction is to become angry, feel insulted, be offended, criticize, backbite, etc. This is the result of not being able to bear this burden. The virtues of Christ give us strength to bear. For example, if I put on tender mercies, I am able to bear and to forgive. Col. 3:12-14. Then I will not become envious or backbite, etc. Then the others will always find me singing with grace in my heart to God, as it is written in verses 16 and 17. In that state I am also able to bear the others’ burdens; then I am a co-worker of Christ.

“If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of meekness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.”

When such people who cannot bear their own burden become bitter, they speak about their burden to others. They have become bitter, explaining to the others how unjustly they have been treated and how disappointed they have become in this and that person. Then it happens fairly often that they go to others who also cannot bear their own burden, and these become defiled by that same bitter root. Heb. 12:15. Such people usually do not do this to receive help but to garner support. When a person, in the midst of his need, also believes that he is a “somebody,” he has really and truly deceived himself. Instead of helping—bearing the others’ burdens—he is tempted and is defiled by that same sin. Such people are nothing; on the contrary, they are useless. But they can become very useful if they take Paul’s exhortation to heart: “But each one shall bear his own burden.”

Why do you go to the others with your need? Or what is your need? Is it that the others are evil and unjust to you, or is it that you cannot bless them? Your need is that you cannot bless. If you see that, then you have received light. Then you must go to someone who is spiritual, someone who will not become defiled.

How glorious such people are who can bear their own burden. No one else notices that they have burdens. You will find that they are always glad. The only grief they have is that they do far too little for the others. This lends itself to opportunities for growth and development so they can become “somebody”—even someone who is very useful to the church.