Sharing Burdens

Practical Ways to Bear Burdens

 Directly copied from today's In Touch devotional
Comments to follow

Read | 1 Thessalonians 5:14
There are hurting people everywhere, but at times we just don't know what to say or do to ease their pain. Here are six practical ways to bear someone else's burden.

1. Be there. At times the best "method" of helping is simply to be present. During our darkest hours, we don't need someone who tries in vain to fix everything; we just need a friend.
2. Listen. Don't attempt to give answers or tell people what to do next. Injured souls frequently want simply a listening ear so they can express what's on their mind.
3. Share. Never parade yourself as someone who has all the answers. Instead, allow your own pain and failures to help others.
4. Pray. There is power in speaking people's names before the Lord. When they hear someone talk to Jesus on their behalf, healing often starts taking place.
5. Give. Sometimes helping others involves more than a handshake or warm hug. Maybe they need something financial or material. One of the best measures of sincerity is how much we're willing to give to others.
6. Substitute.You may know an individual who bears the burden of caring for someone else. If you step in and take his or her place for a while, you are emulating your Savior--He, too, was a substitute.

Because we were unable to do it ourselves, Jesus bore all of our sin and sorrow, even unto death. As a result, we can live happily and eternally in communion with our Father. If Christ did that for us, how can we ever say, "I'm too busy to bear someone else's burden"?

Copyright 2012 In Touch Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved. www.intouch.org. In Touch grants permission to print for personal use only.

Burdens of others

I sense, lately, a sentiment and a movement that there are a lot of us who would like to reach out and help someone but that we do not really know how. The need and the reticence may both have roots in the materialism of society today. To quote from "The Jerk", "I can live without the money. I just like all the stuff." There is a great tendency to think that stuff is what it's all about where realistically it's thoughts and emotions that are most burdensome. That is why the 6 steps

Be there

Listen

Share

Pray

Give

Substitute

make so much sense. Jesus's guidance is pretty straightforward  about these things: if your neighbor needs it and you have it, give it to your neighbor.

That is true brotherly love.

Unfortunately, a lot of people over the years fall into the trap of "letting Joe do it." If the attitude is "I'm too busy, take care of it for me" prevails, then it is a quick transition to having the government take over, and we end up with robbing from Peter to pay Paul. Smacking loudly of socialism, because it is, we eventually reach the point that there is not enough of somebody else's money to steal and spread around. Big difference when that "somebody else" is allowed and driven to share his gifts with others.

Be that somebody else. Take stock in what you, yourself have. Determine what you are going to do to help your neighbors bear their burdens. Then do it.