Counter Culture: Carry One Another’s Burdens — Thursday
Galatians 6:3
If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. (NLT)
We all know someone whose default reply to, “Do you need help?” is, “No! I’m fine!” Or maybe it’s you. It can be me at times, for sure. We want to be self-sufficient. It’s almost as though we believe we’re expected to be fine. We don’t want to overshare or be a burden to others. Or maybe we’re genuinely unaware of our own needs. This was illustrated for me one day at the church.
I was carrying an awkward—but not heavy—box in the hallway one day and had just come to a door that I couldn’t easily open for myself. A friend… yes, a friend—someone who loves me, mind you… was walking by and asked if I needed help. I said, “Yes, please!” and what did he do? He said, “Cool,” and kept right on walking. He didn’t pause, didn’t take an end of the box, and didn’t open the door. Just walked on and left me with my jaw hanging open in disbelief.
I have no idea what was on his mind, what may have been distracting him. And I might have been offended if I didn’t know what a wonderful human being had just dismissed me and left me hanging. But it illustrates to me the fact that we have come to assume others are self-sufficient, and we’ve become incredibly accustomed to the default response, “I’m fine!”
It’s not just others—but ourselves, too. When we buy into the assumption we should be fine, we reinforce that expectation for others. But we can serve as agents of change by allowing ourselves to be vulnerable so others can see that it’s safe to be the same with us. It requires discipline to be a person who can ask for help and who can confidently and confidentially help others with their struggles.
God can help us become more like Jesus in this part of our lives. Will you ask Him to start or continue that work in us so we can help each other in ways that lead us to grow and thrive? Life can be so difficult at times, and when we help one another, we discover we just might be able to make it through another day.
Thursday’s Reflection
Watch for opportunities to help appropriately. And ask for help when you need it. Not sure where to start? You can jump in to serve alongside others at the church and learn from one another how to make a difference and meet real needs in our community and the world around us!
