I can't remember who said it, but it's so true: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle." Here's how I might translate that--"Extend grace, for everyone you meet is carrying a burden." And you know what? It's high time we remember a few things about burdens. First, that we all, all, all carry them. Sure, some burdens are open and obvious for all the world to see...but others are dark and hidden--and those are surely the heaviest.
But no matter what kind of burden--whether shame, sickness, guilt, grief, fear, failure, longing, loneliness--all can be so painful and so isolating. Yet what a difference when we remember we're not in this battle alone--everyone on this planet is dealing with something--whether we can see it or not--so let's lock arms and fight together!
Knowing we're not alone is so wonderfully liberating! Liberating both from our isolation but also from our tendency to get self-preoccupied with our own burdens. It's a big world out there, people, with folks enduring all kinds of difficulties and heartbreaks we often have no idea about it, so let's be quick to extend the grace, love, and forgiveness of Christ.
Today, I'm thankful that none of us are in this alone--we all are bearing burdens, so we can and must break out of the prison of our self-absorption to extend grace to our fellow burden-bearers. And that's a gift!
Secondly, burdens need to be shared. "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Gal.6:2) I've said it so many times before, but sorrows shared are divided, just as joys shared are multiplied. That's what the Body of Christ is all about--encouraging one another, helping each other, spurring each other on to keep running our race by faith (Hebrews 12!) even when the going gets tough, and picking each other up when we fall down. And we need to remind each other, when we're struggling in the midst of a hard race, that our Savior will enable us to run all the way to the finish line. He is running with us, beside us, behind us, before us, and within us. "And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil.1:6)
Oh thank You Father for the gift of the Body of Christ that shares our burdens and spurs us on to finish the race! Another gift that burdens give for which we need to be thankful!
But finally, and most importantly, our burdens remind us of our great and glorious Burden-Bearer, the Lord Jesus. On that beautiful, terrible cross, He bore the burden of our sin and shame, our guilt and grief--all of it. Every stinking bit of it...for all time...for all who would come to Him by faith. He carried every one of our burdens, covered them with His blood, and cast them away forever.
I've always loved how Corrie ten Boom put it, "When we confess our sins, God casts them into the deepest ocean, gone forever...Then God places a sign out there that says 'No Fishing Allowed!'" When the Burden-Bearer has borne your sins and cast them away, they are gone, done, finished, forever. Alleluia!
So today, thank You Father for burdens--those seen and unseen. Thank You for the Body of Christ, and thank You that You allow us to comfort and carry one another's burdens. And thank You for our glorious and great Burden-Bearer. Thank You that Jesus fully understands our every burden--for He has borne them all--and that He has commanded us to come to Him with those burdens, and He will give us rest for our souls (Mt.11:28-29), sustaining strength, and enabling grace.
Thank You, Abba, for burdens, for the Body, and for our Burden-Bearer. To God be the glory.
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