When it comes to the divine burdens God has given us, many of us operate under the mindset that we are left alone to address them. We act alone and make plans as if everything depended on us. The truth is, we were never meant to act on our divine burdens alone. God has given us a community of followers of Christ to walk with and help us as we do something about the burdens that God gives us.
Nehemiah rallied the leaders of Jerusalem to join him in fulfilling his divine burden to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in Nehemiah 2. In this passage of Scripture, he said to the leaders of Jerusalem, "Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!" (verse 17). Then he told them how God had worked and given him the opportunity to leave Persia to go to Jerusalem to lead the rebuilding of the walls (verse 18). In response, they immediately replied, "Yes, let's rebuild the wall!" (verse 18). Then, Nehemiah records that they all got to work. Nehemiah understood that he could not rebuild the walls of Jerusalem by himself. He needed the leaders in Jerusalem to support him.
Throughout Scripture, we are reminded of the importance of helping and walking alongside one another in this life. The apostle Paul wrote about this in Galatians 6. He wrote in this passage of Scripture, "Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ" (verse 2). When we walk alongside life with other Christ followers and share each other's burdens, including the divine burdens God has placed on our hearts, we honor God. In case we think we are the exception to this teaching from Paul, Paul added, "If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important" (verse 3). We all have a role to play in helping one another as we carry the divine burdens God has given us. Make no mistake, the community of Christ followers that God has given us is a gift.
The truth is, we need each other when it comes to the divine burdens God has given us. We need the encouragement and support of other followers of Christ to walk alongside us and help us address the burdens God has placed on our lives. We were not meant to live this life alone, friend. Let's help each other take action and act on the burdens God has placed on us.
Who has God placed in your life to walk alongside you to help and encourage you when it comes to the divine burden God has given you? Reach out to them today, share the burden God has given you, and ask if they would be willing to walk alongside you and do something about it. Praise God for the people whom He has placed in our lives to walk along this life with!
1Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.
6 Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them.
7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.
11 Notice what large letters i use as i write these closing words in my own handwriting.
12 Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to others. They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. 13 And even those who advocate circumcision don’t keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples.
14 As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. 15 It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. 16 May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.
17 From now on, don’t let anyone trouble me with these things. For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus.
18 Dear brothers and sisters, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
