O Loving Savior, You have commanded that I bear the burdens of others as well as bearing my own burdens. When someone has been stricken with a burden … whether sickness, financial need, death of a loved one or a habitual sin they cannot overcome … You expect me to act in love toward him and support him in whatever way I can. Your Word confirms the fact that when I help relieve the burden of another I am “fulfilling Your law” which is to love my neighbor as I love myself. Even though I have a responsibility to live my life uprightly, that does not excuse me from my responsibility to bear my neighbors burdens to the degree I can. Since You created and redeemed me, I am assured that You care for me and will not allow trials, or duties placed on me, to become greater than I can bear. In humility, I must trust You to meet my needs … and, in return, I must be willing to meet the needs of others.
In order to have a successful journey through life, I must learn to bear the burdens in my life. You have made it clear that I must get in agreement with Your plan for me, deny myself, take up my cross and follow You. I must be willing to follow You no matter what the cost … not just when it’s convenient but every moment of every day. The cross I bear is my life and, like the young rich man, I must be willing to give up my riches, idols, comforts and earthly benefits in order to follow You because in following I reap heavenly rewards. As I accept the responsibility for carrying the weight of my cross, I will see pride, selfishness and worldly yearnings get stripped off along the way so that I can live more for You. The world is full of enticements designed to draw me away from You but, as I ignore them and rely on You, I will become more successful in bearing my burdens.
You’ve explained that the way to save my life is to lose it. That seems like a contradiction but, I understand that in order to obey, I must start imitating Your life and heeding Your commands. I must deny the yearnings of my selfish desires to use my money and my time in whatever way pleases me instead of giving priority to Your wishes. Through tithing of my time, talent and resources, You have introduced me to the truism that giving is better than receiving. When I go beyond my wants to placing a higher priority on Your Kingdom and the welfare of others, I’m well on my way to dying to self. When I come to understand how You unselfishly died for me, continue to meet my needs and shower me with heavenly gifts … then I should realize that following You means I must willingly and generously give of all that I have to benefit You and those less fortunate than me. Therefore, I gladly accept Your call to bear my burdens and help bear the burdens of my neighbors. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens and in so doing fulfill the law of Christ.
Matthew 16:24 If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.