Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. (Galatians 6:1-3 ESV).
Perhaps you have heard, or even used the familiar saying, “Don’t throw rocks. We all live in glass houses.” It is a simple reminder to be careful in our judgment of others. The Apostle Paul speaks to this in our reading today. It is a part of his letter to the church in Galatia. It seems they had become hyper-judgmental and legalistic.
Throughout my years of ministry, I have often heard stories from people who felt abandoned by their church, particularly when they felt they needed their support the most. Several years ago, while living in Tennessee, I worked with a Divorce Recovery Group. One woman said, “When I needed the church the most, it was not there for me.” That story has been repeated in one form or another many times. The circumstances might have been different, but the result was the same. When people felt burdened they also felt abandoned.
It’s easy to walk right past people who are burdened—sometimes because we don’t know, and other times because we don’t want to be bothered. Thank God, though, that there are many church members who make it their business to carry the burdens of others. Some go out of their way to invite someone for dinner who has no family. Others faithfully pray for people they know who are dealing with hardships, and some send a note to let people know that someone is thinking about them. Still others faithfully call on people who can’t get out.
And that, according to our reading today, is the way things should be. We are to carry one another’s burdens. When you find yourself in church, take a look around and try to see who might need you. Reach out to people in your local community also. And keep fulfilling the law of Christ by showing his love. This is just one of the ways we can make this season joyous for those who feel no joy at all!