What does it mean if a central part of fulfilling the Kingdom of God is carrying others' burdens? What does it say about modern Western Christianity's and it's emphasis on personal prayer and study? What about corporate times of worship? I mean, how often do we seek to hear from God or experience Him for our own concerns rather than connecting with others? Are our Life Groups any different?
If we look at scripture and history, we see that carrying others' burdens was a central aspect to the early church. In Acts 2 we see that the early Christian community "had everything in common" and provided for one another so no one would be in need. Not a very common part of our culture today. But Paul also wrote often about not being a burden unnecessarily (2 Corinthians 12:14, 1 Thessalonians 2:9, and Hebrews 13:17). And he also talked about bearing with one another by being compassionate and patient. (Colossians 3:12–13, Ephesians 4:2).
God's gives us examples of carrying other's burdens as well, especially our own. Psalm 68:19 says, "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." And looking at Matthew 11 and Galatians 5, we see that Christ is painted as the one who frees us from heavy burdens. So, I think we can build a good case that carrying others' burdens is truly central to following Christ. But what does that look like in real life? In Life Groups? How can we facilitate this as leaders?
My first thought is that perhaps a great place to start is simply to be with the people we serve. Asking them questions, getting to know them as human beings, helping to carry their loneliness, fear, and doubts could be places to begin.
What are your thoughts on this? Share some of your own experiences. What ways have you carried others burdens in your Life Group? What ways would you like to do better in this area? Share your comments below and let's dialogue more on these blogs.
I'll blog on this again with your input, experiences, comments and suggestions. Sound good?
2 comments:
To share another's burdens, a believer starts by being in a position of listening to God, being connected to Christ in the everyday moments in life, long after your quiet time alone with Him. When we are down off the mountain, we must discipline ourselves to keep beside Him in the work and errands and conversations. Nothing must take presidence over hearing the voice of Jesus. In this quiet place, Christ leads us to the side of those we are to embrace, encourage, offer succor, or simply intercede for them in prayer. If we are disconnected how can we know what their real need is or what action Christ is asking us to complete through Him? To really love our neighbor, we have to see them through Christ's eyes. And they need to see Christ - not me.
Then we must ask ourselves "do I trust you Jesus?" because what He asks us to do often stretches us out of the comfort zone we live in, and many times asks more than we self-centered humans imagined. Listening to Christ, and trusting Him are dependent actions, one coming before the other depending on each situation, but both obsolutely necessary to baring someone else's burdens. We are walking, listening, trusting so that as the burdens come, we can hold a neighbor's hand confidently while we show Christ to them.
Great Points, Anonymous. In order to love others as Christ, it is vital that He is moving through us by His Spirit. Let's face it. Some people are difficult to love and some situations do not touch our hearts. But through the love of God, we connect. It's no coincidence that John reveals "Love" as being the essential aspect of God's character. Thanks for commenting!
Post a Comment