Burdens and Loads

Leadership

Year after year, we would take several trips to the village of Las Conchas outside of Guatemala City. On many of these trips, we would build houses for local villagers who were homeless or living in conditions many would call inhumane. It was always so gratifying to come back and see a house we built in a previous year and just how well cared for it was.

While we would provide the basic structure, they would add all things that made it a home. They would tile the floor, paint the walls, add additional rooms, windows, curtains, etc. So many would beam with pride to show us what they had done with the gift they were given.

Every now and then, however, we would see a structure we built, and it was run down or vacant, uncared for, and the property overgrown with weeds. The family either didn't have the means or the desire to take care of it. It would disturb me to see this, and it really got me thinking about the difference between helping someone and creating a dependency.

"Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ."

Galatians 6:2 says to share in each other’s burdens. In other words, when someone is facing an overly burdensome or overwhelming situation, our call is to step in and help them through it. For example, helping a single mother get a car. Just a few verses later, however, Paul goes on to say that every person is responsible for carrying their own load. Meaning, the everyday responsibilities of life, paying for gas, insurance, and maintenance.

Helping someone through a tough situation, getting them back on their feet, or supporting them in a time of crisis is Godly, and we should do it every chance we can. On the flip side, carrying their day-to-day responsibilities for them makes them dependent and unable to stand on their own. That's when helping hurts.

Don't work harder on someone else's problems than they are willing to work themselves.

You can help people get off the starting blocks, but you can't run the race for them. Help them carry their burdens, but be sure they are able to be responsible to handle their own load.