Friday; September 12
Through the years I have preached a lot of “bear one another
burdens”. This phrase from Galatians 6:2
has been a launching pad for a lot of my sermons and lessons. Now, before I move on, let me make it plain
that I am still a big believer in this admonition; however, I have learned
something along the way. Often, to be
able to help people we need to communicate with them. When we see people struggling, we have to be willing
to ask them what’s going on – and then listen to them. If we wonder why people have changed, we need
to ask them and patiently await their honest response. Often, helping comes by beginning an
investigation and often requires listening to commentary. There have been times in my life when I have
shied away from this pursuit of truth, but I am trying to learn that with
genuine care for others difficult discussions don’t have to be that tough.
The other day I found another passage about helping others, “Now
we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength,
and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his
neighbor for his good, to his edification.” (Romans
15:1-2). Are we willing to listen to
those who need help rather than merely assuming we know what they need from
us? When we really care about each other
– and are truly willing to share each other’s struggles – our conversations can
become easier, and our outreach might turn out to be more effective.
Think About It!