One of the
things I love about God's word are the dichotomies. A
dichotomy is defined as a "division into two mutually
exclusive, opposed, or contradictory groups." (http://dictonary.reference.com)
So dichotomies are
things which compared to one another, seem contradictory. In
our opening Scripture, one verse commands us to bear each
other's burdens. A few verses later, it says that each person
will bear his own burden. Sounds contradictory, doesn't
it?
It reminds
me of a Scripture in Proverbs that says "answer a
fool according to his folly." Then a few verses later, it
says, "Answer not a fool according to his folly." I
love how one of my previous pastors explained those
verses. He said, "It's simple! Some fools you answer, and some
fools you don't." That's humorous, and I guess it's a decent
explanation. Although I have a different one, but that's
another sermonette.
But I chose our
opening Scripture for a couple of reasons associated with
things I experienced this week. A coworker had made a comment
about my choice of career. But because she didn't know my
background or life history, there's no way that she could
stand in a place of assessing my suitability for what I chose
as a career. We don't know what people have gone through
that has brought them to the place they are in life right
now.
In other words,
"Never judge a man until you walk a mile in his
moccasins." That's an old saying that still holds
true.
But I had the
privilege of hearing a live broadcast of Holla-Fest Radio
recently and heard the testimony of JBlaze out of Miami. He's
a DJ that God is using mightily down there. Now, the brother
didn't share his testimony of health challenges for pity or
for people to marvel at him. He wanted to give God the
glory for how He uses him "in spite of" his challenges. It was
a moving testimony.
But it got me to
thinking about my issue that I will soon be obtaining
surgery for. (And y'all keep a sista lifted up, you feel me?)
I had told the Lord recently that I had been dealing with
issues associated with this thorn in my flesh for 35
years. (Like He didn't know, you know!) And so as
I was listening to JBlaze's testimony, I was
thinking, again, "You don't know what people are going
through."
This goes back to our
opening Scripture passage. Paul urged the Galatians in verse
2 to "bear one another's burden." The word burden there
means a weight or a load. Like what an ox or donkey carries.
God wants us to help one another to stand under the load we
have to bear. In other words, instead of standing in judgment
over we "see" happening in people's lives, get under their
load with prayer and encouragement and help your brother or
sister bear it. Lighten that load with your prayers, love and
support.
But then, in verse 5,
Paul says we'd each bear our own burden. The word burden there
is different and refers to an invoice, or a bill of lading. In
other words, the burden in verse 5 represents the
"paperwork" that comes with a load or shipment, so to
speak. The word burden in verse 5, that we each have
to bear ourselves, carries the idea of official
paperwork that a carrier has for loading something and
removing it from one place to another.
A bill of
lading is a "document issued by a carrier to a shipper, acknowledging that specified
goods have been received on board as
cargo for conveyance to a named place for delivery to
the consignee who is usually
identified." (www.wikipedia.org)
This tells me that
what I'm bearing is supposed to be carried somewhere and left.
While my brothers and sisters help me bear it, I should be
bearing it to a destination where it is no longer my concern,
where someone else has agreed to take responsibility for it
and pay for it. Y'all know where I'm going!
What does Peter tell
us? "Cast all your anxiety on Him, because he cares for you."
(1 Peter 5:7 NRSV) "Cast" here means to forcefully throw.
Well, a burden that is heavy will have some force behind it
when you release it off of your back or mind, right? Bills of
lading oftentimes have multiple items on them. Take all that
stuff to the Lord -- make a physical list if you have to. Take
it and throw it on Him. He's paid for it! It's not yours or
mine! We're just carrying it! Bearing it from one place to
another!
So although we are
commanded to help one another bear our burdens, it's the
carrier's responsibility to cast it on Jesus and leave it with
Him.
God be praised for
His Word!
