Freedom — To Bear Each Other’s Burdens – Tuesday
TODAY’S VERSE
Galatians 6:2
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (ESV)
Around Southland lately, you’ve probably noticed that seats are at a premium. You’ve maybe even heard one of those “please scoot over” announcements to try to make more room as people trickle in. What a great problem to have!
I recently saw a video online of a lady talking about how she felt penalized for being timely and would refuse to move because she wasn’t late, and had already chosen her chair. Now, I am a rule follower, so I can certainly understand why she feels that way. But I think God asks us to think beyond our feelings. God asks us to think about others and not just ourselves.
In this lady’s not-so-subtle act of self-righteous defiance, she makes a whole lot of assumptions and shows quite a bit of not-so-biblical entitlement. She has no idea what that young family went through to make it through the doors of the church that morning. She has no idea if that latecomer, who was hoping to slip in quietly at the end of a row without being noticed, has ever even been in a church before or heard the gospel. Not to mention the fact that it’s not actually her chair!
When we think beyond our feelings, our mindset shifts to things that sound a whole lot more like bearing one another’s burdens. We should ask ourselves what we, as established believers who attend church regularly, can do to make new believers or the lost and broken feel welcome and a part of the church. How can we help make sure they get a glimpse of God’s love while they are with us? What can we do to help remove distractions so they can hear the life-changing message of God’s love, grace, and forgiveness?
Friends, scooting over to a different seat (or giving up a seat altogether) is just the beginning of what God will ask of you. Jesus gave up WAY MORE than his seat for you. After we say yes to Jesus, our lives should be a practice in serving and sacrificing for others, especially for the sake of the gospel!
APPLICATION
Is there something big or small that you have felt entitled to that God is asking you to give up so you can help bear someone else’s burdens or introduce them to the love of Jesus? Take some time this week to write down a couple things that could make a difference, and then choose one to actively do!
PRAYER
Father, thank You that You sacrificed Jesus to save us. Help us to see others as You see them and give us opportunities to actively bear one another's burdens.