Bearing One Another's Burdens.

I have only three weeks left in my sophomore year of college! Goodness gracious. Starting next semester, everything is going to be full speed ahead and I'm going to be on the track to graduate. Wow, am I really almost an upperclassman? That's so crazy to think about. I can't believe I've already been in college for two years. The time has really flown by.

But that's not what this post is about. This post is about something I've been thinking a lot about lately. I have a friend here who is deeply concerned with the issues going on in his friends' lives. And he's going through his own really cruddy time as well. This person is so selfless that he doesn't even care about his own issues, but wants to reach out to other people in order to help them. I have to say, this is impressive. I know that there are so many times in my life where I am way too focused on myself and my own problems to be worried about other people. But this is not how I should be.

Romans 12:10 says, "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Then in 13 it continues on to say, "Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality."

Is this what have I been doing, or have I been too worried about my own needs to look out for others and make sure that other people are doing okay? And what's interesting is that I hear people tell me time and time again not to worry about them, because their burdens are not mind to bear. But really, the Bible specifically says to "bear one another's burdens"(Galatians 6:2). Am I really being a sister to my fellow believers if I let them just carry their own burdens and I don't do anything to help them? What does this accomplish? No, as brothers and sisters we are encouraged... we are commanded to bear one another's burdens.

This is huge. I think that if we all cared a little more for the needs and concerns of our brothers and sisters, the church as a whole would change dramatically. We would no longer be selfish and self-centered. We would no longer have the animosity and the divisions that we have, but we would be able to live with one another, knowing that we are all walking a journey, and we need others around us. We would have unity in the body of Christ, and we would love each other as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39).

This is what God wants for us. And I know that I struggle daily with loving others as much or more than myself, because we as humans naturally want to think about "number one." But we are spiritual beings. We are not of this world, and therefore we should set ourselves apart and live as God would have us live. Are we ready to take that step into bearing one another's burdens and honoring each other above ourselves?

I hope so.