Counter Culture: Carry One Another’s Burdens — Monday
Ephesians 4:2
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. (NLT)
If you’ve ever lost sleep because of something swirling in your life, raise your hand. Everybody got your hands up right now? Circumstances, situations, relationships, and more can be a huge drain on the level of peace and joy in our lives. We are all in this together, though. We all “get it” because we’ve all experienced it. When it comes to the struggle to find a sense of hope and security amidst the challenges of life, whether we’ll admit it or not, we need each other.
Sadly, in a culture that seems to be hyper-vigilant to constantly seek out the mistakes of others and point fingers of blame, the challenging nature of life only grows more worrisome and anxiety-inducing. With the ever-increasing rate at which we hear about or experience things like relational trauma, health concerns, financial shipwreck, moral failure, or addiction… we have more than enough heavy burdens to keep us up at night.
The emotional weight of life’s challenges is often too much for one heart to bear. That is why we need one another. And when we’re actively aware that we are “in it together” and of how much grace we need ourselves, we’re much more prone to showing up and offering the relief, encouragement, and grace the Lord has given us.
We can’t fix the problems others are walking through. Maybe you’ve tried and realized, along with me, that the “fixing others” spiral doesn’t often lead to a good place. But two things you can be? Present and prayerful. I have been grateful for both of these, offered by friends right at the moment of need in a way that significantly changes how a difficult season feels. That gift I’ve received, I’ve been entrusted to give away to others when they need it. When we keep our eyes open for what people around us are walking through, and stay grateful for all God has done for us and provided through others along the way, we can live counter to a culture that seeks to push others down to lift themselves up… and help one another instead.
Monday’s Reflection
It’s a gift that can be paid forward endlessly. Pray about how you can be part of encouraging someone and extending God’s grace today.
