Burdens and Loads

 

One of the main tenets of Christianity is to help others in need. As some would say “That’s a no brainer”.

But the blanket understanding of helping others is not helpful if we don’t understand it.

Did you know that there are ways we can try to “help” people that actually hurts them? There are things that we do, that we think are helpful, but are actually harmful.

Let’s go to some scripture for clarification.

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

Well clearly, according to this scripture, helping requires carrying others burdens so that we can fulfill the law of Christ.

But just as we never want to take scripture alone and out of context, we have to keep reading. When we continue in this text, this message is expounded upon.

Galatians 6:3 continues… “If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. ⁴ Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, ⁵ for each one should carry their own load.”

Now wait a second. First it said we should carry each others burdens but now it’s saying that everyone should carry their own load. Doesn’t this contradict itself?

In the English language it seems to, but in the original language in which it was written, it doesn’t.

Friends when we hear “You need to sit in scripture” the reason why it paints a picture of spending time there, is because that’s exactly what we need to do. We can’t just do a quick fly by or a fast scan and expect to be fully fed by the truth, depth and meaning within the text.

When we look at this text in the Greek, we see something very interesting. We learn that in the Greek, to carry someone’s burdens is to empathize with them, but to carry someone’s load is to take responsibility for someone else’s actions.

Those are two different things, aren’t they? I could empathize that a friend made a bad choice and is dealing with the consequences; but it would be a very different thing to actually take on the responsibility of their actions for them.

Those that are parents understand the detriment of what taking away the responsibilities of a child’s actions can do. It can cause the child to grow up never understanding the importance of consequences.

We can sometimes so easily equate this scenario to parenthood and child raising, but when it comes to everyday interactions with others, we miss this.

I’ve had many people share with me the toxic relationships they’ve had to deal with in their lives. We often use the word “enabling” to explain how we can hurt people when we think we’re helping.

So many times, I hear Christians explain how they feel their helping someone even though society says they’re really enabling that someone.  They reason that what they are doing is the Christian thing to do.

But wait…what does our text say?

In the Greek to carry someone’s burden is to empathize with them.

To carry someone’s load is to take responsibility for someone’s actions and lives. It takes away the understanding of consequences and  creates a very toxic relationship. And more times than not, these relationships end in frustration, bitterness and resentment, because the wrong person was carrying the load.

We’re being told to carry each others burden; to empathize with others always but not to carry their load. Why? Because that’s Gods job. When we start to carry the load of others, that’s when things get messy and off balance.

Jesus says in Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

If we want to truly love others the way Jesus did then we have to understand the difference here. Put down what you were never meant to carry.

We can help lead others in the right direction but we can’t carry them there. That job is reserved for Jesus. So walk in love with others, empathize with others, but prayerfully step out of the way and let Jesus carry their load.

-Pastor Patti