In Galatians 6:2, the Apostle Paul writes, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” A burden is something heavy. It is a load to carry. In the Galatians 6 sense, it is something too heavy to carry alone. It may be grief, anxiety, doubt, temptation, illness, financial strain, or some other quiet pain no one else sees. We often try to manage those things ourselves. They're our burdens, after all. Sometimes we even let others struggle alone.
But the church is meant to be different.
We are not called merely to be “nice.” We are called to love as Christ has loved us. And that love has its own weight to it. It draws near to what is messy. It will sit in silence when there are no right words to say. It listens without judgment. It brings a meal, offers a ride, holds hope for someone who has lost theirs.
Think of the friends in the book of Job. They did their best heavy-burden lifting when they simply sat with Job in his sorrow. Because presence matters. And when we carry one another’s burdens, we imitate Jesus. He is the One who carried ours all the way to the cross. 
Have you ever noticed what happens when you see someone yawns? Yawning is contagious. And just like a yawn spreads from person to person, so does compassion.
Consider, then, how you may be a burden-bearing person for someone else. So that through us, the love of Christ becomes visible, tangible, and contagious.
Stay blessed...john | 
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