Freedom — To Bear Each Other’s Burdens – Monday
TODAY’S VERSE
Galatians 6:1-2
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (ESV)
Some kids thrive on teams and work hard to win and support their teammates. Some kids… not so much. When in elementary school, one of our kids really did not want to take a turn as soccer goalie, to the detriment and disappointment of their teammates. When the coach finally convinced them to go stand in front of the goal, there was still no convincing them to actually act like a goalie. They just watched with folded arms as balls rolled by into the goal. They certainly did not learn what we had hoped from that experience, since the coach never put them in as goalie again!
When we compare ourselves to others, it can paralyze us with fear and keep us from even trying. We may feel like we will never measure up, or like we are too far gone for God’s grace to save us. But there are two sides of this ditch: we can also make the mistake of feeling like we are much holier than those around us, whose struggles with sin may be more obvious. Neither of these is a good place to be, and neither reflects the truth of our standing before the Lord. We have to learn who we are comparing ourselves to, and it is not each other!
In the New Testament, the Greek word used for sin is hamartia (ἁμαρτία) and it means to miss the mark. The mark, or the standard, we are aiming for is not one another; it’s God’s standard exemplified by Jesus’ sinless life! Romans 3:23 reminds us, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (ESV).
We are all in the same boat without God’s grace and forgiveness, so there’s no reason to compete with or compare ourselves to others. God designed us to be there for each other, to encourage one another to stay strong in our faith, to restore one another when we fall into sin, and to point each other back to Jesus at all times.
APPLICATION
Take the next step towards deeper relationships with other believers who will encourage, support, and redirect you when you need it. If you aren’t already in a group, visit southland.church/groups to check out the groups directory and get connected.
PRAYER
Father, thank You that You are our standard and not each other. Thank You that Your abundant grace is enough to cover all of our sins as we have missed Your holy mark. Remind us not to compare ourselves to one another, but to support one another as we encourage one another to grow to look more like Jesus.