Who Am IChikamu

You’ve likely heard this verse before. It’s often quoted to teach us about the way we’re supposed to help each other with the hard stuff life throws at us. And we are! Life in this fallen, broken world is heavy, and there are burdens that we aren’t meant to carry on our own. Interestingly, a few verses later, Paul wrote that we’re also supposed to carry our own load. It feels contradictory, doesn’t it? How are we supposed to carry each other’s burdens while carrying our own load? Well, Paul was writing about two different things. A load is the regular, normal everyday weight of life. It’s the stuff we have to carry to live. One of the ways we can love our neighbors, or live well in community, is to take care of our own things. A burden, on the other hand, is something you can’t carry on your own. It’s too big for one set of shoulders to carry. So, one of the ways we are to love our neighbors is to take care of our own stuff. And then, as we carry our own load, we (and others) will be free to truly help someone who is in need.

Consider two things this week: How are you carrying your own load in life? And how are you helping shoulder the burdens of others in your community? Ask God for guidance on both!