The Upper Room Devotional 16th October 2023: Burden-Bearer

TODAY’S TOPIC: BURDEN BEARER

Richard L. Whitaker (North Carolina, USA)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Who in my life needs me to be a burden-bearer?

Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. – Galatians 6:2 (NRSVUE)

I had no idea when we bought our home that there were so many large rocks submerged under the soil. Trying to regrade and landscape the yard to create a rock garden proved quite formidable. I had only a shovel and a wheelbarrow — both inadequate for the heavy rocks I tried to lift by myself.

It was not until I called on my landscaper and his assistant that the biggest rocks could be unearthed and relocated. I was grateful for those who helped me build my rock garden, which is now filled with rocks of assorted shapes and hues.

How often we struggle alone to bear grief, pain, loneliness, anger, or regret. But our Christian faith is not meant to be lived in isolation; we are called to lift one another’s burdens. Only when others have reached out to me or I have sought help have my burdens been made lighter. Today someone may need our help — we may not even be aware of it. But when we choose to make a phone call or send an e-mail, a text, or a handwritten note, we may become a burden-sharer. No matter the method we choose in bearing another’s burdens, we are fulfilling Christ’s command.

TODAY’S PRAYER
O God, help us to follow the example of Christ by helping to bear the burdens of others. Amen.

PRAYER FOCUS
Someone who has helped carry my burdens

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