“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” “…for each one should carry his own load.” Galatians 6:2, 5
If I were looking for discrepancies in the Bible, this one would make the list. However, I don’t believe the Bible has any discrepancies. Just things we don’t yet understand. So let’s see if we can’t gain some understanding about these two seemingly opposing verses. I have heard these verses used many times as reasons why we should help others financially while not relying on others to help us when we can afford the necessities. While I still believe those are both Biblical concepts, looking at these verses in context shows us that they’re not talking about finances at all. The preceding verse talks about gently restoring those who have been caught in sin. At first glance it may seem that the burden we’re to carry is the other person’s sin. But there’s another element mentioned in verse 1. As we’re attempting to help someone who has fallen into sin, we put ourselves in danger of being tempted by that same sin. That’s the burden. This makes me think of AA sponsors. Twelve step programs have been shown to be very effective in helping addicts overcome their addiction. But I’ve wondered how hard it must be for someone who, say, is an alcoholic to help a newcomer to the program being tempted by alcohol. Maybe that newcomer calls their sponsor from a bar. How easy it must be on some days to just give in to the temptation and start drinking again. We all face temptation when helping a brother or sister in their sin. But when we face our own temptations in order to help another, we are fulfilling the law of Christ.
Then we get to verse 5 about carrying our own load. Since it starts with the word “for,” we know that we need to look back at verse 4 to see what the “for” is there for. Verse 4 says we each need to test our own actions. In other words, we’re each responsible for our own deeds. To go back to the AA example, if the sponsor follows the newcomer into temptation, they can’t blame the newcomer. They, alone, are responsible for their decisions and actions. That’s true for all of us. On judgement day, we’ll stand before God by ourselves. There will be no one else next to us on whom we can place the blame. We won’t be able to point to someone else and say that at least we were better than them. The only comparison will be between us and God. And we’ll definitely come up on the short end of that comparison! The load that we carry is knowing that we alone are responsible for our own actions.
Knowing that I’m responsible for my own actions makes it very easy to just avoid temptation all together. After all, if a brother or sister is sinning, they’re responsible for that, not me. But remember that verse 1 tells us to help a brother or sister caught in sin. So avoiding the situation isn’t the answer. That’s giving in to a different kind of temptation – the temptation to keep myself safe from my sin while letting someone else flounder in theirs. That’s not what God wants of us. He wants us to reach out to those who are struggling, while staying strong in Him. I’m picturing a person trying to rescue someone who’s hanging on the edge of a cliff. They’re lying on the ground, reaching down to that person. But before doing that, they’ve tied a strong rope from themselves to an immovable tree so they won’t also fall over the edge. That’s what we’re to do. Remain tied securely to God. He’s our immovable strength. Only then can we safely be of help to someone else. There’s one big difference between this example and God. While He is immovable, He’s not inanimate. He’s not just standing there watching us and the other person struggle. He’s actually the One reaching out to them. He’s just using our hands to do it. So perhaps a better way to visualize that picture is that as we reach down to the other person, God is right next to us, also reaching down with one arm while keeping the other securely around us so we don’t slip. The next time you find yourself struggling with temptation, just picture that. God’s got you and He won’t let go. The only way you can “fall” into temptation is to willingly remove yourself from God’s grasp. It’s your choice. Do you want the fleeting enjoyment of sin, or the eternal joy of remaining secure in God’s arms?