LOVE BEARS BURDENS FREELY AND HUMBLY
A woman lost her son in battle, and could find no comfort. She went to a wise counselor and asked what to do. Said he: “Go find a home that has no sorrow, bring back a mustard seed, and God will restore your son”. After several weeks, she returned and said, “I have been so selfish in my grief. Sorrow is common to every home. My grief has now turned to joy.”
Grief may not turn to joy sooner rather than later, but it makes us wiser for the rest of our journey once we realize that grief is indeed common to all people, and that the joy Jesus promised his disciples, who quite naturally were filled with grief immediately upon learning of His imminent death, has been and shall be restored via resurrection. All it takes for grief to turn to joy is faith as small as a mustard seed!
Yes, we all have problems and cares that weigh us down. What to do with our burdens is a challenge we all face – which, you might say, in and of itself, amounts to yet another burden. It’s ironic: We become burdened about what to do with burdens! A fella once told me that his biggest worry was worrying about worrying!
Thus, we should not be surprised to discover that the Bible speaks clearly on the subject of burden-bearing - provided we understand what might otherwise be considered a contradiction, as seen in Paul’s letter to the Galatians:
The essence of what we find in the Bible about burden-bearing is this: Some burdens are meant to be shared – Galatians 6:2 . . . Some are meant to be shouldered - Galatians 6:5 . . . Some are meant to be shed – (Psalm 55:22) . . . all of which are to be undertaken in humility.
Folks: If we really want to share burdens with one another . . . shoulder burdens of our own . . . shed burdens that we have no business carrying, we have to make up our minds to do so with an attitude of humility, as was the manner with which the Lord Jesus bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. I can say without qualification:
Humble persons have what it takes to deal with burdens because to do so requires integrity. Every humble person I ever knew epitomized integrity - unity, wholeness, oneness . . . at one (at peace) with God . . . at one with Christ . . . at one with fellow believers . . . at one with self. Wherever an attitude of humility prevails there will be unity - of purpose and plan.
On the other hand, wherever pride prevails – selfish ambition, personal desire for prestige and power, an attitude of superiority toward those whose differences some don’t like – there will be disunity, the chief characteristic of which is being “at odds with” rather than “at one with”.
In the face of the danger of disunity caused by selfishness, Paul appealed to Christians to stick with humility as exemplified by Christ – Philippians 2:1-5 . . .
Apparently, before the Christian movement even got off the ground, disunity reared its ugly head and threatened to derail the success of the early Church.
So Paul appealed to their sense of “community” – the unity of community! Christians of all denominations and diverse lifestyle have too much in common to allow disunity to get a foothold in the Christian Fellowship and thereby put a stranglehold on the mission of the Church!
“We are one in the bond of love!” “Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love, the fellowship of kindred minds, is like to that above!”
It is as if Paul pled with them by asking this question out of desperation: “Why can’t we all just get along with each other?” “Why Not Just Be Christian?”
The fact that we all are in Christ . . . part of the Christian Fellowship . . . in a love relationship with Christ - who first loved us and gave himself for us, and told us to love one another . . . endued with power by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit . . . people of pity and heartfelt compassion . . . committed to the purpose for which Christ established His Church – LOVE BEARS BURDENS FREELY AND HUMBLY!
A woman lost her son in battle, and could find no comfort. She went to a wise counselor and asked what to do. Said he: “Go find a home that has no sorrow, bring back a mustard seed, and God will restore your son”. After several weeks, she returned and said, “I have been so selfish in my grief. Sorrow is common to every home. My grief has now turned to joy.”
Grief may not turn to joy sooner rather than later, but it makes us wiser for the rest of our journey once we realize that grief is indeed common to all people, and that the joy Jesus promised his disciples, who quite naturally were filled with grief immediately upon learning of His imminent death, has been and shall be restored via resurrection. All it takes for grief to turn to joy is faith as small as a mustard seed!
Yes, we all have problems and cares that weigh us down. What to do with our burdens is a challenge we all face – which, you might say, in and of itself, amounts to yet another burden. It’s ironic: We become burdened about what to do with burdens! A fella once told me that his biggest worry was worrying about worrying!
Thus, we should not be surprised to discover that the Bible speaks clearly on the subject of burden-bearing - provided we understand what might otherwise be considered a contradiction, as seen in Paul’s letter to the Galatians:
The essence of what we find in the Bible about burden-bearing is this: Some burdens are meant to be shared – Galatians 6:2 . . . Some are meant to be shouldered - Galatians 6:5 . . . Some are meant to be shed – (Psalm 55:22) . . . all of which are to be undertaken in humility. Folks: If we really want to share burdens with one another . . . shoulder burdens of our own . . . shed burdens that we have no business carrying, we have to make up our minds to do so with an attitude of humility, as was the manner with which the Lord Jesus bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. I can say without qualification:
Humble persons have what it takes to deal with burdens because to do so requires integrity. Every humble person I ever knew epitomized integrity - unity, wholeness, oneness . . . at one (at peace) with God . . . at one with Christ . . . at one with fellow believers . . . at one with self. Wherever an attitude of humility prevails there will be unity - of purpose and plan.
On the other hand, wherever pride prevails – selfish ambition, personal desire for prestige and power, an attitude of superiority toward those whose differences some don’t like – there will be disunity, the chief characteristic of which is being “at odds with” rather than “at one with”.
In the face of the danger of disunity caused by selfishness, Paul appealed to Christians to stick with humility as exemplified by Christ – Philippians 2:1-5 . . .
Apparently, before the Christian movement even got off the ground, disunity reared its ugly head and threatened to derail the success of the early Church.
So Paul appealed to their sense of “community” – the unity of community! Christians of all denominations and diverse lifestyle have too much in common to allow disunity to get a foothold in the Christian Fellowship and thereby put a stranglehold on the mission of the Church!
“We are one in the bond of love!” “Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love, the fellowship of kindred minds, is like to that above!”
It is as if Paul pled with them by asking this question out of desperation: “Why can’t we all just get along with each other?” “Why Not Just Be Christian?”
The fact that we all are in Christ . . . part of the Christian Fellowship . . . in a love relationship with Christ - who first loved us and gave himself for us, and told us to love one another . . . endued with power by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit . . . people of pity and heartfelt compassion . . . committed to the purpose for which Christ established His Church – considering all that we have in common - persuades us to be like Jesus in putting the needs of those we love ahead of our own.
Is Paul asking us to put ourselves down . . . disown our individual talents or skills . . . deny our personal accomplishments . . . put on a poor self-image or to forego any pleasures in life? Absolutely not! Meekness is not weakness!
Meekness is a healthy, balanced view of ourselves – owning up to strengths as well as recognizing weaknesses – yet accentuating the positive by putting our best efforts into looking out for the needs and interests of others.
However, we must take into consideration that there is only so much any one person can and should do, so all the more reason for depending on God to see us through life’s struggles – Philippians 2:13-15 - “Where could I go but to the Lord”?
How reassuring to know God is with us and working in us and through us! Wouldn’t it be nice, though, if everyone would serve the Lord without grumbling, arguing or complaining about it? Oh well, that could be asking a little too much, inasmuch as it seems some folks cannot help but find fault.
Heard about one dear woman whose husband grumbled about everything. She couldn’t seem to please him no matter what. One day she decided that on that particular day she was gonna do anything he asked her to do. When he came down for breakfast, she asked him how he would like his eggs. “I’ll have one scrambled and one fried.” She scrambled one egg and fried the other. She put his breakfast on the table in front of him and he just sat there, staring at it with a frown on his face.
“Now, what’s the matter,” she asked. You told me to fry one and scramble one, and that’s exactly what I did.” To which he grumbled, “You fried the wrong one.” This longsuffering wife gave her husband a chance to “shine like a star”, but he would have no part of it. Some folks are just determined to make life miserable, for themselves and for others. But, you know, it doesn’t have to be that way!
All it takes is a little bit of cooperation, perhaps as small as a mustard seed? God has done His part - but we must do our part in order for a partnership to work. After all, if God is for us, who can be against us? Cooperate, and you will have no cause for complaint! You see, complaining is not going to happen if we commit our way unto the Lord, trusting Him to be our guardian and guide.
Words of encouragement offered to me many times: “With God on your side, how can you lose?” “He that spared not His own Son for us, how shall He not also, with Him, freely give us all needful things?” Including our victory over grumbling!
Truth is: Grumblers also can be happy if they, like Christians are supposed to, maintain purity of thought and of character – looking for something to commend rather than find fault with - seeking to build up, not tear down - striving to be a fellow believer who unites, not divides.
We Christians have something special to offer to those who reside within the circle of our influence: a little ray of sunshine in the midst of darkness . . . a glimmer of hope . . . a touch of love . . . a reason for living!
And you know what? It’s not so much seeing you display the spirit of Christ that sparks someone’s praise to God, it is your humble sharing a bit of yourself without grumbling about it.
What a powerful influence for good your humble acts of service have on recipients of your love! What a positive impact on the Cause of Christ! What a lasting effect on you personally!
Your joy, like Paul’s, is fulfilled when you are thinking the same way, expressing the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on the same goal that your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ thought, expressed, shared and focused on!
There is no joy like that of having the mind of Christ - who humbled himself and became obedient to the will of God! Therefore God exalted Him.
The mind of Christ in you! What it does is: energize you to empathize with others whereupon you exercise your freedom to minister . . . serve . . . bear one another’s burdens, and to do so humbly, in the name of Jesus! Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, stick with humility and shine like stars! Amen.
o
