3 Fold Message of Bible about Burdens

3 Fold Message of Bible about Burdens
by Estelle Nazary

People everywhere have burdens. Come sooner or later to us all!
Sometimes to be seen and known of all - sometimes to be borne which outside world knows nothing about! You are sitting beside someone who is bearing burden which you have never dreamed -weighty! The Bible teaches us lessons of patience, restraint, tolerance, charitableness, love, careful of our words, actions, and attitudes.

3 Things about Burdens

1. Every man shall bear his own burden. Galatians 6:5
2. Bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
3. Cast thy burden upon the Lord and He shall sustain thee. - Psalm 55:22

Whole story in the Bible...
1. Burdens are non-transferable
Born alone - die alone
Between cradle and grave much of life is alone. Duty is personal. Responsibility is personal. Repentance is personal. Sin is personal. Faith is personal. Salvation and judgement is personal. Each must give account of himself - No one can take your place. Obedience is personal. Christ sees the individual - the one - We must never loose ourselves in the crowd.
Jonathan Edwards: "Resolve that every man should live at this best always and everywhere for God and resolve whether anybody else does it, I will."
Behavior is personal.

2. Many burdens are social - Bear ye one another's burdens. Galatians 6:2
Paul saw a life out of its proper place - limb out of joint - don't restore it harshly - do it gently - spirit of meekness. Tomorrow you may have the burden...
* Sympathy for sorrowing
* Weighty burdens
* Heavy responsibility
Help lighten the burden by good cheer, sympathy, love, prayer, reinforcement...Help people in 2 ways:
a. live right ourselves - one good person with right attitude (spirit) all the time, everywhere can change a community or group in time.
b. make it a point to constantly encourage people. No person has a right to discourage others. Encourage - there's a way out of this burden - there's a way up the hill - Come on and let's go together - Speak like that all the time. Barnabas - son of consolation.

3. Cast thy burden upon the Lord. Psalm 55:22
I want to run away from it all. Where will you go? If you do go, you still have to live with yourself - memory, conscience, discord, troubles, burden, pressure... You can't run away from burdens. We must face them full fledged - straight forward.
Still small voice of God saying you don't have to face this by yourself. Take God into your plan! God is alive and He loves! He lives! Cast thy burden upon the Lord.
Personal burden which is heaviest of all - domestic burdens which is heart-breaking. Financial burdens, mental anguish, emotional illness, disconcerted plans, broken promises, disappointment in people, children, family members, and spouse, ill health - yourself or one dearer to us than life...Bring them to the Lord and He shall sustain thee!

How? One of 2 ways:
Either one will do..He may take it away. He may make you well or your loved one well. He may lift you out of the trouble. He may take it away. He may not - Then what?
"I will sustain you" - I'll help you through it! I'll take the bigger end of the load! I'll take all the load that is not best for you to take! He will overrule, sustain, and help!

Paul's thorn in flesh - messenger of Satan to buffet me - 3 times he prayed - No! I'm going to leave it, sanctify that experience. It will make a bigger man of you, better, wiser man, more sympathizing man.

He will take it away or He will sustain you to make you better, greater, more useful. Sanctify it to help you so you can help others! Whatever comes, God's will be done and in that moment peace is won!

One set of footprints.. God carried you through the troubles! Safe in the arms of Jesus..

Reflection:
1. Where is God? What would be your answer?
2. Why do people (especially Christians) suffer?
3. In what way and to what degree is God responsible for suffering?
4. If sin is the cause of suffering, Whose sin is it - the sin of the sufferer or of someone else? John 9:3; Romans 3:10, 23
5. Should we expect God to shield or protect us in some miraculous way from suffering or sorrow? Can we pray this without praying it for others? Can we become selfish in our praying?
6. Does God ever prevent or relieve suffering in some miraculous way?
7. What should we let God do for us and through us because of our suffering?
8. When a burden comes and a person is bitter, how can you overcome this bitterness? How can you give love? How can you give yourself?

Burdens or suffering will make us better or bitter. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, and shouts in our pain.