Pleasant Stone Devotional Meditation: August 25

“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” ~ Galatians 6:2

When your own heart is heavy with trouble, this word from God can only seem to increase your load. God knows this. That’s why Jesus said: “Without me ye can do nothing.” The average life is so full of trouble that it would be the rare thing for a burdenless disciple to appear in order to “fulfill the law of Christ.”

Christ told us that we were to love our enemies as much as we love ourselves, even if they are our neighbors. He said this knowing how heavy hearts feel. His had been heavy again and again in His earthly life. He said this knowing from His own weariness that to take on someone else’s load without a moment to rest, is humanly impossible. And yet we are told to “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

This is the same Christ who understood trouble and heavy hearts and weariness out of His own earthly experience.

We have already seen that during His own personal grief over the murder of His cousin, John, Jesus wanted to be alone, as anyone wants to be alone at times like that. But we saw also, that He asks nothing of us which it is not in His own heart to do. The people came thronging after Him in His secret sorrowing place and “he was moved with compassion” and “he healed their sick.” This same Christ lives in us now. We can bear each others burdens if we let Him do it through us.

“… Without me, ye can do nothing … Abide in me, and I in you …”