Love to hear from and know who is listening
We live in a world that is focuses on me first. The world will tell you that you should prioritize your own needs and desires above anything else. The world says in order to be successful you need to be self sufficient and fully independent. However the bible tells us that we are to not to focus on our self. Scriptures say in order to be successful you must be a servant to others, even a slave.
Mark 10: 43-45 ESV But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Unfortunately many of us have the wrong attitude. We may not think we are being selfish but the reality is we are apathetic, we lack true concern for the well being of others, there is no sense of urgency, we do not see it as our responsibility, our attitude is “someone else will take care of it” or “what’s in it for me?” As Christians we have a higher calling, a divine mandate even, that should set us apart from the rest of the world. The scriptures tell us that we are to bear one another's burdens. Bearing one another's burdens is not just about being nice or lending a hand to someone when it is convenient. It is about stepping into difficult situations, the messy realities of life.
Galatians 6:2 ESV Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
So what some very practical ways to bear one another’s burdens today. Ask how people are doing, not just, “Hey, how are you?” But really, Hey, how are you doing? What is worrying you? Is there anything heavy on your heart? And then look for an opportunity to bear that burden with them. Just think about your own life. When your burdens are heavy, it’s really good to have someone who bears them with you, who steps into your burden with you, who shoulders the load of it with you, who seeks to understand, as best they can. They step into the difficult moments in your life and help you carry the load. It may be an emotional burden and they lend a listening and caring ear or it may be that life is physically demanding and they lend a helping hand to carry some physical burden. What can you do to show that person they are not alone with that burden? It may be as simple as praying for them... with them. That simple act goes such a long way. Or there might be something you could do for them, drive their child to a ball game, mow their yard or fix them a meal. Or it might just be listening to them and letting them share with you. The last one is the hardest one for me because I do not really listen. I listen just long enough to make my response, when in reality they don't need or even want to hear what I have to say, they just need someone to listen so that can get the burden off their shoulders. We are surrounded by people who are walking through so many difficult things, that are heavy on their hearts. Ask God today to help you to look for opportunities to bear one another's burdens. God, we pray that you would help us to live daily bearing others’ burdens. And as we pray this, we praise you for your love for us, that bears our burdens with us. First Peter chapter 5 tells us to cast our burdens upon God because He care for you.
1 Peter 5: 6-7 ESV Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Jesus, has borne the burden of our sin and death for us. He conquered sin and death and ultimately suffering and made a way for us to have eternal life free from burdens.
