I currently relate to a wonderful group of pray-ers who really care about others. Man, talk about refreshing - it's so SO cool just to hear them discuss issues, and earnstly lift up one another's needs. How do you spell love?
I can't tell you how many times my own family has been blessed in very specific ways when this group has gone to praying for us. God is gracious to give us strength, and grace, and provision, and open doors etc.
He is generous and so are our dear friends. Yup, God is still a way-Maker for His loved children ..when there is zero way to make it. Personally, I do my best to share what strength I recieve downwards and outwards, but first to verbally share may weaknesses, needs, occasional hurts, and challenges upwards looking to the Lord to meet such needs. But I have recieved such His comfort as certain ones I didn't even ask or approach have actually helpped to bear my burdens. Me thinks that even if you and I can not solve all of our friend's problems or challenges, it's so good to know Someone who can do that. And He often uses people in this.
Jesus Christ promised us believers that He will indeed meet all our needs as ask and we look away to Him. And we can indeed pray for any and everyone who comes to us too. We can hear them out, gently encourage them, point them to Christ who loves them more than all put together, point them to His sure promises, and to other Scriptures that might edify... and simply bear one another's burdens by faith. For sure, the Bible tells us Christians to...
"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden." ~ Paul, Gal. 6:2 kjv
"We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves." Rom. 15:1
"To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law." 1 Cor. 9:21
"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyne else." ~ Charles Dickens
"The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Gal. 5:14
But more specifically, Kurt, how can I bear another's burden? Well, here's how...
1. Listen well – Of course don't cast the final judge on them like you're their ultimate judge. Discern. Believe not and commiserate not with any lies that they might believe, but give them clear truth from the Word that addresses their need and show them your love and compassionate concern.
2. Pray – Realize that the God to Whom you pray to in Jesus Name is all powerful. Prayer ain't verbal well-wishing – a mere hope so. It's not sending good energy to someone in need, it's literally interceding for that person in the way that you would want and need someone praying for you. The fervent prayer of a righteous born again person gets through to the One who can accomplish so much in resolving the issue no matter how big it is.
3. Smile – Be tender enough to genuinely show Christ's warmhearted kind of love. Cry with them when they hurt and cry, laugh with them when it's clean and funny, and be there for them when they need to call someone.
4. Help – Follow the Lord in this as He would help out. He just might use you to meet the entire need or address it in part in a very practical way. Burden-bearing could literally be lifting and carrying a burden—many singles and elderly people need to relocate at times to a new location. Whatever the need, let's all seek to meet needs in a way that the person is most comfortable with—that's appropriate. And remember that the primary need of every person that we meet is that they be forgiven of their sins as they each trust Jesus for eternal salvation. Give them an opportunity to repent and believe.
You know how people long for "Family" today. It's cuz so many families are fractured - there's gobs of pain and heartache. So many need healing and restoration.
Listen, the believers I know and have met seem more like family to me than many of those in my own biological family who don't walk with Chrsit.
You also know how people are lonely today, and it's very typical that those out in the world are not yet ready to bear other people's burdens. Of course we will every now and then, come across a moral lost person out there who is simply kind, fairly wholesome, and helpful and we of all people (the Church of Jesus) need to profusely thank and bless them as best we can. But the prevalent motto for most people in the world is this: "Get all ya can, can all you get, and spoil the rest."
They have a dead human spirit, no Holy Spirit living on the inside, and are basically on the get, not out there on the give as Jesus was when He walked around down here. Let's tell them about how Chrsit bore a heavy cross and their sin as he died upon that thing up on top of Calvary's hill. Let's tell them how they can choose to experience resserection life in their inner spirit and soul all because Jesus was resserected from the dead and came out of the tomb before witnesses.
Q: Can you list some other ways that God might use us believers to practically help carry someone else's burden, or perhaps speak to how we can balance all that stuff when we each have our own to carry as well? facebook.com/shareJesus
