Carry Your Own Load

Last post we talked about Paul’s teaching that at times we are to help carry the load of others when their burden becomes too heavy for the to carry it alone.

This week we will speak of Galatians 6:5 “For each will have to bear his own load.”

This verse literally means you need to carry your own weight. You need to care for yourself. Paul was blunt. He teaches that there are some things only you can do. Other people are not responsible for some areas of your life.

Now before we go on, remember the last post. When someone experiences a life event or when someone experiences the “accumulative effect”, when life events stack up on top of someone we are instructed to reach out for help and we are taught to be a safe person.

The Bible is balanced. We reach out for help when needed but we also carry our own weight. You are responsible for your spiritual life. No one else can be. You are responsible for the state of your relational world. No one else can be. You are responsible for your physical health. No one else can be. You are responsible for your mental health. No one else can be. There are some things only you can do.

When you make it someone else’s responsibility to manage these areas of your life you are in danger of two things: 1) becoming a victim. 2) becoming entitled.

You have the power to choose. Even when you are mistreated, you have the power to choose how you will respond.

Social science teaches between stimulus (what happens to you) and your response (your reaction), you have the power to choose your response. The Bible calls it free will.

Throughout history mankind has demonstrated the power to choose to respond in a godly manner. Jospeh is an example. In spite of being sold into slavery and unjustly cast into prison, Joseph had the power to choose his response. You have the same power.

The devil never made you do it. He may tempt you but you make your own choices.

Carry your own load is good member care. This means there are times you do not help someone. You do not want to become an enabler. You do this with gentleness but you do not help someone in the long term when they can do it themselves.  

This takes wisdom. You may need input from others. You may have to gradually back out of things.

You always demonstrate the fruit of the spirit and the golden rule always applies. Yet sometimes love must be tough. Sometimes love says no. For a person to be fruitful on the field they have to learn to carry their own load.