Carry the Burden

Feeling alone is a tricky feeling. There are times when it is a legitimate feeling, but more often than not it is a lie from the devil. Satan wants you to feel like you're alone, even if you're surrounded by people. Because if you feel alone, you're more likely to withdraw, to shut down, to give in to feelings of darkness and depression.

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Galations 6:2

Galations teaches us to carry each other's burdens. I'm not sure about you, but I typically think that I'm pretty good about paying attention to the needs of others, listening to their problems, and trying to help in any way possible. I know I can always improve on those, but I also know what I'm really not good at.

And what I'm not good at is letting other people carry my burdens. I stop talking. I don't share my feelings. I believe the lie that no one else has ever experienced what I'm going through and therefore they won't be able to relate. I keep my burden to myself in order to protect myself and the other person. 

But what I'm really doing is not protecting; it's putting up a wall. Let me tell you something, Jesus is not a proponent of building walls. He longs to tear down your walls, to tackle your deepest issues, and one of the most prominent ways He does that is through your interactions with other people. 

And what you'll find, as I have found, when you let other people carry your burdens by talking about real things and being open and honest, is that other people have the same issues you do. They have the same problems, the same struggles, the same insecurities. People also have the same victories. And as we talk about our real life things, God is honored through our encouragement of one another. 

You are neither too good, nor too bad to share what's going on in life. And anyone who makes you feel like either of those is true is not truly living a life that honors God. We can work through our joys, successes, and struggles together. Doing so will only unite us and make us stronger. What a relief it is to know that we are all battling something and we are not alone.