Burdened!

Burdened!

Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 KJV

First of all, today's extract is addressed to people who are believers. It has to always be emphasised that the crowd can be a distraction. It is easy to hide behind a crowd, or to allow the popularity of a crowd drive the focus but for anyone who has had a personal experience of God, you know human applause or approval is not the best measure of that which God accepts. I must seek that which God desires, if I will get that which God wants to give me. 

In that light, it has to be said that being a Christian does not absolve me of any burden. We usually claim that coming into faith means the end of all burdens. That is not the full story. At no time does Jesus promise that you will come to him, and then walk away with no burden, responsibility or accountability. What I get from coming into Christ is an exchange of priorities, where God takes away my burden of sin and its weight of death, and then gives me a burden of work for the new kingdom to which I am now subject. No true subject of a kingdom gets to enjoy the benefits of the kingdom without putting in any effort. Am I a citizen of the kingdom of God? Do I know to what I have been called and what is expected of me?

For all who are in Christ, there are personal burdens. The call of God upon every life is both general and specific. We are called to the same destination but there are different routes and gifts that are required for the journey. There is a contribution that my gift and route will supply to meet that which is lacking in another person, and there is another gift and route in another person that will supply what is lacking in my own life. That is the amazing balance that God seeks to establish in every life that comes to him, and that is why no man is ever made complete from birth when it comes to the need for growth. We are born empty, so that as we live, we get the required materials and resources that will take us where God intends. 

So, by the working of the grace of God in me, I am able to help the other person on the journey of grace. God also will raise another person that will help me with my own burden. Ultimately, all who bear allegiance to Christ work together to establish the purpose of Christ on the earth. That is our divine assignment, but which must impact the earth. The world must know where we stand, and what better way is there than for each individual life to reflect the mind of Christ, which is to help the other person attain to the full measure of the stature of Christ. I do not arrive until we all arrive. I do not claim completion until Christ is fully formed in us. 

There is none in Christ without a burden, therefore there must not be one in Christ without a helping hand. This is what makes it amazing: God is able to give each person a particular burden yet provide capacity and ability to be able to help another person with his/her burden. If I am all about me and my burden, with room for no other consideration, I need to check again who has birthed the burden I am carrying. If it is God, he will provide grace for me to have room. If it is not him, it is not too late to get the right kind. The journey of faith cannot be travelled without help, and all I need is tied up in my allegiance to and connection with Christ. Do I know him? Does he know me? His time of favour is here.