Galatians 6 - 11.27.24

Scripture

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)

Observation

This chapter of Galatians gives us practical suggestions on how to live a Christian life. If someone got trapped in sin, let the others who are more mature in Christ, bring him/her gently back to the Lord. When we bear each other’s burdens and watch out for each other, we fulfill the law of Christ. 

The chapter continues to give us more instructions on living a Christian life. Don’t have a great opinion of yourself. Be generous. Share your blessings with the one who teaches the word. Don’t get tired of doing the right thing, we will reap our rewards eventually.

We fulfil the law of Christ, when we bear each other’s burdens. What is the law of Christ? Jesus said that the most important commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind, and that the second most important commandment is to love our neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40). When we love God with all our heart, he helps us to selflessly love others around us. When we bear each other’s burdens, we fulfil the law of Christ. 

Application

The Bible teaches us that we should not be looking to our own interests, but to the interests of the others (Philippians 2:4). How do we look out for others and bear the burdens of our sisters and brothers? We can look for practical ways to help out the people God has placed around us. 

Another way to bear the burdens of others, is to actively pray for them, as if we are praying for ourselves! Paul compares interceding for others to birth pangs experienced by a woman giving birth (Galatians 4:19). When I gave birth to my first-born, my doctor administered the epidural only after I had gone through almost 12 hours of labor! That gave me a first-hand experience of the deep pains of child-birth, incomparable to any other pain known to mankind! Let us intercede and pray deeply for others in their needs, by bearing their burden in prayer.

Prayer

Dear Father, I thank you for loving me. Help me to bear the burdens of the people you have placed in my life, and fulfil your law. Show me how I can help people in their need. Show me how I can intercede and pray effectively for their needs, as you expect. Help me Lord, as I can do nothing without you (John 15:5). May my prayers for my sisters and brothers rise up to you as a sweet incense (Psalms 141:2). In Jesus’s name. Amen.

- Asha Chacko George