Galatians 6:1-10

Living as we do as near neighbours, my brother and I often ask each other for help – especially if we have a large object in the garden to move around! Although this help is of a practical nature we should also be prepared to ask each other for spiritual help when we are feeling low.

Each of us has from time-to-time gone through times with problems and difficulties. We may imagine that the lives of some people appear trouble-free, but that is only because their problems are not obvious to us and perhaps they wish to keep them to themselves. God has promised us sufficient grace for each trial that He allows us to go through. "Praise be to God ….. who comforts us in our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God" (2 Corinthians 1:3,4). God promises to be with us as we go through each trial. One of the ways we are helped is by other Christians helping us to carry the weight of our burden.

The background to this passage of scripture is that certain religious leaders had come into the Galatian church teaching them that they had to obey the ritualistic laws of the Old Testament to be saved. They had fallen for these false teachings of salvation by works. Realising the Galatian Christian's desire to obey a law, the apostle Paul reminds them in Galatians 6:2 that since they desired to obey God they should "Carry each other‘s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ".

We are commanded to carry others' burdens. In order to obey, we must be alert to the problems fellow Christians are experiencing. Some of their burdens may be obvious, but others are only revealed to those who are close to them. Therefore to obey this command to carry each other's burdens we must be in close fellowship with our Christian friends. Otherwise, we may not be aware of the difficulties they are facing.

How then can we help to carry each another’s burdens?:
 

	Firstly, we need to overcome the fear that we can’t cope with someone else’s burdens. We must be convinced that what God commands us to do, He also gives us the grace to do it. "But he said to me ‘my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’" (2 Corinthians 12:9). We can be sure that He will bear us up as we help carry the burdens of others.
	Secondly, we need to be in close fellowship with our Christian friends, so that we will know their needs. This involves sharing with each other in times of happiness as well as in times of sadness and need.
	Thirdly, we should be ready to help by offering encouragement from God’s Word, advice and, if appropriate, by deeds.
	Finally, and most importantly, we must pray with and for those who are carrying heavy burdens. We should not underestimate the power of prayer.