HCC Monthly Harvest Seed

Galatians 6:2 (Amp) - Carry one another’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the requirements of the law of Christ [that is, the law of Christian love].

A while back we were doing a study in our monthly men’s meeting, Man Up. We were talking about the characteristics of a Godly man. One of those characteristics was strength.

Most of the truly men of God, most of the truly Godly women of God are people of strength.

These are people of Godly, emotional, Spiritual and physical strength.

These people lend their strength to others when they are weak and going through difficult times.

Sometimes it is for a short period of time and there are times it is for an extended period of times.

When we are talking about strength, we are not speaking to the physical strength of being a specimen of muscles and fitness. We are talking about something much deeper. We are not talking about physical meatheads that can lift hundreds of pounds.

We are talking about all of us as believers who are strong in the Lord and in the Power of His might. Each of us - spiritual powerhouses who are normal people who know that they serve a mighty God.

• People are looking for strength. They need it. We need it.

All of us deal with things. Heavy things that we just don’t have the strength for at times.

Galatians tells us to bear one another’s burdens.

One version says to carry on another’s burdens. Another version says to share one another’s burdens.

Actually, we are commanded to carry one another’s burdens.

Now don’t miss what this verse is saying. It says to carry ONE ANOTHER’S burdens. This means that we help each other out. It is not a one-sided thing. It is reminding us that we help each other.

Some days I am strong and other days you are strong. Whatever day we are having if you have a burden I will help you.

All of us have needed help carrying our load in life at one point or another. The fact is that we all get tired, weary, discouraged and there are things that we just cannot deal with on our own.

Burdens by their very definition are heavy. They are weighty matters that we need help with and we can no longer do it on our own.

The truth is that even things that are not terribly heavy if they are carried over a long period of time become a burden.

Sometimes burden carrying is physical help, like caring for an aging parent.

I think of my wife and a lady in our church, Mona. Both of them recently helped care for their aging parents. They could no longer care for themselves, and they lent them their strength, love, honor and time until they walked into glory.

Just helping someone move is literally carrying a burden. A couch, a washer and a dryer are not a one-person job.

Some things are not only heavy but they are awkward. Even if something is light, if it is awkward, it is hard to handle alone.

Life brings many awkward situations, and it is good to not be alone in them.

My family has nicknamed me the “king of the awkward situation and the awkward conversation”. It is a gift that God has given me. While I can often do them alone, the weight of the situation is lifted when there is someone else to help.

My son, when he was moving, needed help with a king-size mattress that he had. Now I was a mover before I went into ministry. I love the challenges and the physicality of it all. This mattress was not only heavy it was awkward. We had three stories of steps to bring it down. Most mattresses can easily be moved with two people. This one required four.  Life is like that sometimes.

~ I love the phrase that – Many hands make light work.

When we are tired and carrying a lot, we need others to help us carry the load. They need us to help them carry their load.

Part of being strong is recognizing when you need help and recognizing when others need help.

Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) - “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Life is rough when you are tired, and things are heavy.

Jesus is gentle and humble with us.

We have to go to Him when we realize that we are overwhelmed, tired and carrying to much.

We get to yoke up with Jesus. This means that we stop carrying things on our own. That we include Him in the process. That we realize He won’t weigh us down.

That we can exchange our weakness for His strength. Spiritually, emotionally and physically.

One of the ways that Jesus does that is by providing other people to help.

When we carry someone’s burden we become God’s strength with skin on it.

I love that Jesus invites us to learn from Him.

He is gentle, kind, it is ok to not do everything on your own, you can’t, you are not supposed to and you don’t have too.

When people carry my burdens, when I carry someone else’s burdens, when I cast my cares on the Lord because He cares for me, it becomes some of the greatest learning opportunities in life.

We learn more about Jesus, we learn more about ourselves and we learn about others, and we certainly grow spiritually and emotionally.

Even the strongest of people face battles in life.

The book of Deuteronomy talks about how one will put a thousand to flight and two ten thousand.

You would think that if one can defeat one thousand then two would defeat two thousand.

Strong people can do a great deal by themselves.

Here is a spiritual truth the more strong people that you put together you have MULTIPLIED, EXPONENTIOAL EFFECTIVENESS.

This is true of prayer; this is true in spiritual and physical battles.

In every battle we need people who have our back, to give us comradery and to boost morale. People who help us to see what we are missing and to help us up when we fall.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NLT) - A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

The truth is that there are times that we run out of our own strength. We come to the limits of what we can do on our own and we need the strength of others.

Someone needs to hear this – there is no such thing as a self-made man.

All of us need someone to walk with us, to just keep us company.

We all need those who can offer us wisdom and at times just listen and not speak.

There are times when we or others are emotionally drained and spiritually dry and we need encouragement. Someone to lift us up with words and prayer and to help us shoulder the load.

We have all known people like Job’s friends. These people started out good. When Job lost everything and he was scraping the boils on his body to feel better they just sat quietly with him.

Job’s wife was hurting so bad that she told Job to curse God and die.

Many criticize her, but she was in anguish. He couldn’t help her, and she didn’t have the strength to help him.

After a while these friends who were there for Job started adding to his burden. We call these types of religious people. Job’s comforters.

May we never become like that. Their limit of understanding lasted about a week.

Sometimes carrying the burdens of others means that we are committed to going the distance with them. There are some things that we may think but we never get to say because it only adds to the heaviness.

All of us look up to the strong people of the world. God commands us to – Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Do you see yourself as a strong person? In Christ we are. We can be. We get to be. That will make us a blessing to others and to one another. 

Be strong for someone today. Allow someone to be strong for you. Remember – You are dearly Loved. – Pastor Marvin & Dawn

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