Whispers swirled around her like condemning arrows, piercing her soul. Accusatory finger-pointing served as a relentless reminder of her failures. She yearned for someone who could see beyond her mistakes, offer her guidance, and genuinely love her. With a heavy sigh, she settled into the chair opposite me, tentative to speak, convinced there was no hope. With eyes downcast, she timidly shared her troubled past: a history marked by multiple affairs and abortions.
As tears streamed down her face, she gazed at me in utter disbelief as I shared with her about a gracious Heavenly Father who loves her unconditionally and extends forgiveness and the promise of a fresh start. With faint glimmers of hope in her eyes, she whispered, “Is it possible for Him to truly forgive me?” With an emphatic “yes,” I encouraged her to join me in prayer.
Humanity often readily criticizes others while justifying its own actions. Yet, every individual has their own distinct story and path. When someone’s life experiences diverge from our own, we tend to quickly condemn theirs while rationalizing our own. As followers of Christ, our role is not to act as judges, juries, and condemners. Instead, our role is to guide others towards Christ and to journey through life alongside them.
We see an example of this with John the Baptist. The prophecy in Isaiah 40:3-5 foretells his vital role in paving the way for the arrival of Christ and the good news of the gospel. It says:
“A voice of one crying out:
Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness;
make a straight highway for our God in the desert.
Every valley will be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill will be leveled;
the uneven ground will become smooth
and the rough places, a plain.
And the glory of the Lord will appear,
and all humanity together will see it,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
What a crucial role John the Baptist played in preparing the way for people to encounter Jesus. His powerful words and teachings created a straight path for people to connect with Christ. His message of grace, mercy, and hope had a transformative effect, lifting up the valleys for those who were downcast and bringing down mountains of obstacles standing in the way of people’s spiritual journey toward Jesus.
As followers of Christ, our role is similar as we can recognize and address the obstacles that prevent people from discovering our Savior. Rather than creating additional barriers and man-made traditions, we should strive to eliminate the hurdles, misconceptions, and falsehoods that hinder others in their pursuit of Christ’s grace and mercy. As we diligently prepare the pathway for others to see Christ, we cheer them on, support them, encourage them, share God’s truth in love, and point to the King of kings calling them to Himself.
Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (reference NKJV) The word “bear” in this passage means to take away or carry the weight someone else is experiencing. When we see others struggling in life, instead of passing judgment on their life choices, we are to help them carry their burdens, leading them to Christ so they can be fully restored to Him.
All too often, rather than bearing the weight of someone’s burdens, we bare them. We expose them, leaving them vulnerable and desolate. This behavior is the opposite of Christ’s merciful nature. We witness His kindness in the way He handled the situation with the woman caught in adultery. While the Pharisees were baring her sins for everyone to see, Jesus took a different approach. Instead of condemning her, He stooped down and began writing in the sand silently. When He stood up, He uttered, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7)
It was His love and kindness that led her to repentance and restoration. Christ willingly bore the burden of her sins. And He does the same for us. As Jesus hung on the cross, it was the weight of humanity’s sins, our burdens, that he bore for you and me.
Yet, how many times have I lowered the valleys, raised the mountains higher, and put roadblocks in the pathway for others? Carrying the hammer of a Pharisee, how many times have I bared the brokenness of others instead of bearing their burdens with them? After all, “We need to keep our standards high,” we think. “We can’t water down the gospel.”
Is it not the kindness of God that leads us to repentance? This is not a watered-down gospel; it is the gospel. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). Much like the Pharisees who condemned the sins of others while justifying their own actions, how often do I catch myself thinking and speaking in a similar manner? My own transgressions may look different, but they are nonetheless sinful. While I justify my own and condemn others, I bare their burdens instead of bearing them.
Our tenderness and bearing others’ burdens will guide them into restoration to the Savior (Galatians 6:1). At any moment, we can find ourselves as the ones carrying the burden of sin and needing someone to bear it for us instead of baring it.
The book of Galatians, Chapter 6, Verse 2 teaches that when we bear each other’s burdens, we follow the law of Christ. This is in line with what is said in the previous chapter, Galatians 5:14, which emphasizes that the entire law is summed up in the statement: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
It all comes back to the question posed to Jesus by an expert in the law. “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” (Mathew 22:36-40)
And that is the fulfillment of the law: Loving God and loving others. By bearing each other’s burdens and refusing to bare them, we exemplify God’s love. May our hearts yearn to raise up the valleys and bring the mountains low, providing the pathway for those around us to walk into an intimate relationship with our wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
May we continue to live…
Rooted in Him,
