TGIF! I hope you’re looking ahead into the weekend with a sense of expectancy and excitement as you rest and relax in God’s faithfulness.
But what if you’re not? What if you’re looking into the face of the weekend depressed and burdened by the worries of the world and the difficulties you’re facing right now? Maybe your prayers sound more like, “Why me, God?” than, “Thank you God.” Or “I can’t keep going on this way” instead of, “Thank you for this day.”
We all know life goes in cycles and has ups and downs. During some seasons, we’re feeling really close to God and everything seems to be alive with the goodness of His love. At other times, we wonder if He’s seeing us anymore or paying attention to our needs.
Even though this is the normal pace of life on earth, we’re not created to handle it alone. When God made man, he said one wasn’t enough. He needed two people so they could experience intimacy and relationship like the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit experience relationship. We were created for community, not just surface level acquaintance, but real, authentic relationship where we can show up as our whole selves, brokenness and all.
In Galatians 6:2, Paul talks about these courageous relationships. “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” What’s the law of Christ? Love God and love others as you love yourselves.
When we withhold sharing our burdens from each other and build up a wall of self-protection, we fail to keep the law of Christ. Loving each other requires a two-way relationship, where we each give love and accept love; where we each care and accept care. Loving each other means allowing others to help us carry our burdens and we carry the burdens of others in turn.
Who are the people you trust enough to share your burden? Whose burdens are you helping to bear?
Your challenge over the weekend is to choose several people with whom you can be vulnerable and authentic. Reach out to them. Invite them to participate in Becoming More Certain starting Feb. 7. Begin to pray and ask God to help you become more courageous so you can bear each other’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Author - Anne Bosarge