Bearing one another's Burdens.

The story is told of a young sergeant and his company moving in on the enemy, when suddenly they are ambushed by a rain of gunfire all around them. They are trapped, it seems there is no way out. The sergeant is hit in both of hi legs. He falls face down in the mud; afraid to move he lays in excruciating, agonizing pain... saying his prayers. Day turns to night and the scene quiets. the sergeant makes every attempt to make his exit but he is unable to crawl even ten yards. The pain is too much. Blood loss has begun to make him cold and sleepy, his body is loosing too much blood.
Then through the darkness he sees a silhouette of two men heading his way. He though for a moment it could be a rescue team for him; but then he heard them speaking in a language other than his own. It was the enemy. He could not take his eyes off the moving figures; it was as if he were staring death in the face, immobilized by a combination of fear and pain he sets there motionless. The men stop and investigate dead bodies near him and take weapons and boots off the bodies. soon they were right next to him, again he says his prayers and asks God for help. The enemy gets to his body and BANG, BANG, BANG. The man flinched and screamed ready for death. The shots were on target, fatal and they came from a rescue team. They knew his location and saved him just in time.

What would have happened if the rescue team would have never come? The young sergeant would have been captured, tormented and killed. The two enemy soldiers would have been too much for him to handle in his current state. Sometimes in our own lives it seems like we can't handle what is going on. We need an interceding member to make our load lighter or even outright eliminate the weight on our shoulders.

Let us go to scripture and see what God says on the matter: We are commanded to bear one another's burdens in order to fulfill the law of Christ. Galations 6:2 "bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

What is Christ's law and how is it fulfilled? Galatians 5:14 "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "you shall love your neighbor as yourself."" Christ's law is loving our neighbor and part of that is bearing each other's burdens. We cannot possibly deal with our own burden on our own, we need guidance and support. Our burdens and sin are like an immovable anchor around our necks, or a ball and chain limiting our ability to accomplish things. We need others to lean on for guidance and support and who also lean on us for the same things because it cannot be done without help.

How are we to bear the burdens of others if we are dealing with our own problems? The answer is revealed in scripture: Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep." Have we ever said "why does all the good stuff always happen to them?" This verse tells us we should be rejoicing with them, not complaining or feeling upset because these things didn't happen to us. If we share in rejoicing over them for their good happenings they should in return share in the sorrow we have and lift us up.

Why should we do such a thing, it doesn't make complete sense? I Corinthians 12: 27-31 "now you are the body of Christ and members individually. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way." We are all members of the body of Christ and need to be acting as one body, so one members burden should become the burden of the rest thus the body may act as one. Sometimes we need to go to someone who has been through something similar for the support and guidance we need in order to get through it. Going to the wrong person with a problem will not provide a correct solution for it.

We cannot deal with sin on our own. Isn't that something. Let me say it again. We cannot deal with sin on our own. We could never carry our own sin alone, sin is an immovable anchor around our necks. There is only one way to have relief from sin (which sends us to Hell) and that is to put in in the hands of someone who has already dealt with sin. 1 Peter 3:18 "For Christ suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the spirit." Christ died, went to Hell and dealt with the issue of sin on His own and three days later rose. He did this that we may find deliverance from sin in Him. There is nobody else who truly knows how to eliminate sin, there is only Jesus. So turn to Jesus with your greatest burden, SIN and give it to Him for He will deal with it properly.

We are commanded to bear each other's burdens. Are we doing what we are commanded to do? Are we fulfilling the law of Christ? The best place to start is by submitting our burden and sin to Jesus because He is the only one who can always help. Jesus is our rescue team, He is there just in the knick of time to save us and bear the burden of sin, for us because nobody else can. Thank you Lord.

God bless.