Saturday, November 14, 2009

Burden Bearers

“Share each other’s burdens…” Galatians 6:2

I know of someone currently who is carrying a very heavy burden. In silence. It is crushing and concerning. Yet, at the same time, when support is needed, they have chosen to withdraw into seclusion. Shame. Embarrassment. Pain. Confusion. Heartache. Pride. Why is it we so often feel we can’t turn to the church for our bandages?

“Restore him gently”, Galatians 6:1. Don’t rejoice and reveal the circumstance to everyone. Don’t ridicule and reject. Restore. The truest test of being a Spirit led Christ-follower is the readiness to restore the wounded. Restore is a word used to describe the work of a surgeon. Reduce pain. Promote healing and rehabilitation. It’s a word of grace, hope and health. Whether the wound has been self-inflicted, or they are carrying scars caused by another, the pain is severe. Often waking up each day is their greatest accomplishment. Beth Moore writes, "Sometimes life is so atrocious that surviving is its own great achievement and a strange proof of sorts that God must exist." Have you ever considered surviving in itself a crowning achievement? Maybe some of you reading this right now are all too familiar with this concept. Maybe you are hanging on by a thread, but at least you're hanging on. You have been dealt a bitter blow - one not expected, that hit you on the blind side. Maybe your loss has been great. Possibly you are walking a living death. A phone call. A letter. A financial setback. A betrayal. A prodigal. A separation. A health concern. Life can change in an instant.

God said, “I will rebuild it’s ruins and restore it…” Acts 15:16. We are those “ruins”. We are Christ’s building project. He rebuilds ruined lives.

Let’s remember we all have the same potential to fail or face difficult situations. He who thinks he stands, beware lest he fall. Wounded soldiers need help. Bearing another’s burden means standing with them in the mess. Let’s join our friends in the trenches. Let’s provide the safety they need of a listening ear and a silent tongue.

And, dear one who is weary in the walk, you don’t have to bear this alone. Allow the family opportunity of ministering to you.



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4 comments:

Judy said...

Thank you Joy for those beautiful words - truths.

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

Just surviving as success! I can think of a great many times where I thought the same; currently have many friends who would echo the same.

We certainly do need the body, don't we? Regardless of our current estate, we'd be lost without one another.

I've got you covered sister!

peace~elaine

~Grace and Peace said...

Joy,
Our church did a Moms In Touch event today where moms, grandmas and anyone who has a burden to pray for children came together. It was a blessed event where we were privileged to pray for each other. Powerful. Lots of prayers. Lots of tears. I even got a prayer answered because of it. God is good!

I am reading along with you guys at Wendy's blog. My small group had the monthly birthday celebration recently and one of the ladies got me the NLT Chron bible. I love it! I'm also thinking of blessing my sister with it since she's a new mom. We need more praying moms these days. Our children are facing a very different world than the one in which we grew up. They need all the prayers we can give.

Have a blessed week, dear sister.

Anonymous said...

If only we had the courage (and guts) to allow the family the opportunity to minister to us...