Carrying One Another’s Burdens

It is foundational to our faith that we care for those who are hurting and in need. Isaiah 58:11 is clear that when we shelter the homeless and feed the hungry, we are like a “watered garden.”

We are called to help, and we are blessed when we do.

So often, though, our help can cross an invisible boundary that was established by God. With the best of intentions, we can seek to help someone but end up taking responsibility for them.

We are responsibleーthere is no questioning thatーbut how we are responsible to help must be considered.

Galatians 6:2-5 sheds some light on this:

‘Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone considers himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else. For each person will have to carry his own load.‘ 

Paul in this passage exhorts believers to be responsible. He uses two interesting phrases to describe the two sides of the responsibility coin: “carry one another’s burdens” and “each person will have to carry his own load.”

The use of two different words to describe how we are responsible is important. First, Paul says we must “carry one another’s burdens.” The word translated as “burden” indicates something too big for one person to carryーthe idea is that Christians help one another with the things in life that are weighing them down beyond their ability. These are the big events of life where we cannot and indeed are not meant to go it alone. This could be helping a family after their house burns down. It could be walking with someone through a challenging season of his life by being a good listener and offering biblical wisdom. And it certainly can mean helping someone get out of an addictive cycle. It means being an advocate for those not listened to. It means creating pathways to meaningful employment for those being released from prison. The list goes on.

Now, contrast that with Paul’s use of the word “load” as the other thing we are supposed to carry. The word translated as “load” refers to the normal responsibilities of our lives. This indicates the things in our life that are accepted as normal parts of a functioning adult, like getting a job and earning a wage in order to pay for living expenses, keeping ourselves in good health, and even brushing our teeth.

Both words indicate responsibility, but not the same kind of responsibility. Perhaps the way to distinguish the main idea in this passage is to say we are responsible to one another but not responsible for one another.

So what does this look like in real life? In my role with Watered Gardens, a rescue mission in Joplin, Missouri, I wrestle with this every day as I minister to the homeless and impoverished. There is a real tension in determining how to help someone carry a burden but not carry their load for them.

This passage in Galatians teaches us that good discernment starts with humility. As Paul writes, “For if anyone considers himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” It takes humility to realize you don’t have all the answers. It takes humility to accept that you don’t know what’s best for someone else’s life in all the particulars. Yes, you may have some wisdom and good counsel. Yes, you may have some experience to share. Yes, you may even have a proven program, but their lives are their own.

I think this is why Paul says “Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else.” Our life is unique to us. We cannot compare our life to someone else’s and think we know what is best in a prideful way for someone else. Some call this type of attitude a “god-complex”ーin effect, playing God in someone else’s life.

Paul is telling us to consider our motivation. Our motives for helping someone can be a mixed bag of self-sacrifice and a filling of a kind of prideful desire to be needed or have someone follow “our” way. A good test of our motives is our willingness to say no to someone when saying yes is not in his best interest. A refusal to take responsibility for someone reveals that we are practicing good discernment. Sometimes there’s more love in saying “no” than saying “yes.”

None of this happens, though, if we don’t do what Paul wrote in the verse preceding this passage.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25

We must wholeheartedly depend on the Holy Spirit to guide us. If we listen, the Spirit will guide us to discern how we should help. Nothing has stood out to me more in working with people in desperate situations than the need to be led by the Spirit. Only He can guide us in ways that will really help. Only He can help us be responsible to but not take responsibility for someone else.

FROM THE TRUE CHARITY TEAM: We appreciate the perspective of our knowledgeable guest contributors. However, their opinions are their own, and do not necessarily represent positions of True Charity in all respects.