Carry each other’s burdens … each one must carry his own load … let us do good to all … (Galatians 6:2, 4, 7, 9-10)

[Editor’s Note: We have a special contributor this week, filling in for Bella, who is busy with school.  Keep your eyes posted for that new name, and remember that writers are greatly encouraged to receive your comments!]

Our Soar sermon series will culminate with our Chatham Serves weekend on October 15-16.  We will worship God together by serving our neighbors in Chatham County.  This week’s Connect Devotionals will launch us into that good work.

We’re listening this week to the end of Paul’s letter to a group of churches in Galatia (modern day Turkey).  Paul wraps up this passionate and fiery letter by focusing on “burden bearing,” that is the ways in which Christ’s people are to love and serve each other and the world.

As has been stressed throughout this series, to soar does not mean floating high and far above it all.  Instead, we soar as we follow Jesus, who bore our sins and burdens upon the cross, and calls us to follow him by taking up our own crosses.  Early in this chapter, Paul writes Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ (verse 2).  As Christ on the cross “carried” us, we are, in much smaller ways, to “carry” one another.

But this is not a patronizing, condescending, “allow strong me to help pitiful you” sort of thing.  Immediately after calling us to carry one another’s burdens, Paul hastens to add If anyone thinks he is something … he deceives himself.  Each one should test his own actions … without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load (verses3-5).

So we each need to carry whatever load is ours – and we need to help others shoulder what is theirs to bear.  Paul then reminds us that this is the basic spiritual dynamic of God’s Kingdom: if we focus solely on pleasing ourselves, we actually just deceive ourselves.  If we allow the Spirit of God to direct our flight path, that is where and how we find ourselves being filled with the life of God (verses 7-8).

Which leads Paul to a Big Idea: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers (verses 9-10).

Yup, burden-bearing can be wearying work!  Hard enough bearing our own, more wearying still as we help each other.  But don’t wear out, don’t give up, Paul says, there is a harvest ahead.  Allow the Spirit to carry you as you seek to help a neighbor carry what is hers.  Keep joining our Master Jesus as he carries all of us into the kingdom!

“As we have opportunity, let us do good to all …"  Chatham Serves is one way we do that.  Have you signed up yet?  If not, www.chathamserves.org awaits!