Heavy Burdens: Get Help to Lift
I should know how to pack by now. Every time I need to take a trip, especially when traveling by plane, I try to pack more efficiently. I try to follow some simple guidelines. For instance, I don’t need to take every outfit I might want to wear. And if I don’t use it at home, I won’t use it on vacation! But my packing seems to be getting worse. On a recent trip, my suitcase was returned to me with a brightly colored sticker: HEAVY, get help to lift. I lugged it off the carousel and hauled it towards the exit, wishing I hadn’t brought those extra “essentials”. Did they really have to put such a bright sticker on, letting the rest of my fellow travelers know how heavy my baggage really was?
Wouldn’t it be nice if hurting people were so easy to spot? They know their burdens are heavy, but do others know they are carrying heavy baggage? Maybe we should begin to wear brightly colored stickers on difficult days: HEAVY BURDENS, get help to lift! We are commanded to help each other in this way Galatians 6:2, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” How do we obey this without bright tags to identify those who need help with their burdens?
Ask God to help you have a Christ-like attitude as described in Philippians 2, looking out for others. Take advantage of an opportunity to do something good for someone else, as we are instructed in Galatians 6:10. Bright tags would make it easier to spot hurting people around you, but God has provided a better option. Obey God’s commands for burden lifting, follow His example, and let Him lead you as you help others lift their heavy burdens!
Yes, I agree, it is the leading and obeying that gets the work done. Otherwise we may be praying for something the Lord wants to use to help that person come “the way of” that trial. God uses trials to bring that person closer to Him for help. God wants our attention first and foremost in our lives and when we see others going through trials it is a sign for us to know what God is doing. When we have finally decided to “Live for Him” and go through our trials, we will know without a doubt He is with us and the trial is for our good to deveolp us. We can welcome the trial because we know we will get through it and be bettered by it, because He loves us that much.
In the world today, it seems almost everyone has a great burden, sin, guilt, shame, you name it. It might be easier to put the tags on the few who don’t, and go after those who do.
I like your humor and style; it provokes thought but is not heavy.
You’ve definitely put your finger on a big issue in our world – there are a lot of heavily laden people to care about.