How to Church (6)
… besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? 2 Corinthians 11.28, 29
Burden bearing
The apostle Paul wrote to the churches in Galatia that believers must be ready to bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6.2). As we do, we fulfill the law of love, which is the purpose and goal of every local church.
Bearing burdens isn’t much fun. You can’t read Paul’s two letters to the churches in Corinth and not feel the sense of disappointment, exasperation, frustration, anger, and even sadness with which the apostle penned those missives. These Corinthian believers were, in short, a huge disappointment. Their efforts at churching were making a mess of the Body of Christ in Corinth and a scandal of the Gospel.
And they were boasting about this!
None of the churches of the New Testament was perfect. They all had problems of one sort or another: false teachings, turf battles, personality cults, distractions, setbacks, complacency—it’s all there (cf. Rev. 2, 3). Just as it’s all there in the churches of our day as well.
But the disappointing state of the Church at any time is no grounds for giving up on the Body of Christ. Paul didn’t, and he commands us to be imitators of him as he imitates Christ (1 Cor. 11.1). Apparently, the giving and receiving that make up the work of churching involve a certain amount of putting-up with others and their foibles, failings, and folly. Like ours.
The art of burden-bearing
There are a few keys to being able to do this well, and Paul shows us what they are.
First, to bear the burdens of others we need to be careful to maintain an attitude of humility, coupled with a readiness to serve, according to the gifts and opportunities God gives us at any time (Rom. 12.3-8). Even if it’s true that our fellow believers are acting like children, or like people who just need to “grow up” in their faith, our responsibility is to humble ourselves and be ready to show them the love of Jesus however we may (Rom. 14.1-18).
Jesus certainly demonstrated this attitude in that upper room, when, just before He was arrested and crucified, and knowing that all authority in heaven and earth had been given to Him, He washed the dirty feet of His disciples, then told them to do the same (Jn. 13.1-15).
Burden-bearing begins with remembering that, if the Lord Jesus had not borne the burden of our sin in His own body on the cross, we would have no fruit of the divine Presence, pleasure, or power.
Second, the burdens of others should call forth from us specific acts of love, not judgment (Rom. 14.1-4; Gal. 6.2-10). This is what Paul did. There were problems in the churches in Corinth. So he wrote to them, and then he came to visit them. He might have just said, “That’s it. I’m done with you guys. You’re on your own here. I’m going to find people who are really serious about the Lord.” But he didn’t. Their burdens became Paul’s call to action, and this is as it should be.
Jesus taught as much, did He not? Someone demands an hour of your time? Give him two. Someone insists you take him here or there? Take him here and there. Someone offends you or hurts your feelings? Offer yourself to that person in love anyway (Matt. 5.38-42).
Look, churching is hard work. It’s no picnic giving the best of your time, soul, strength, and wealth to people who don’t appreciate your efforts, take advantage of you, or talk about you behind your back. But this is precisely what God calls us to do. The joy we receive in giving comes not from those to whom we give, but from the Lord, Who approves and dwells in all our acts of love.
So the final key to a life of bearing the burdens of others is always to cultivate a heart of thanksgiving to the Lord (1 Thess. 5.18). You see, God knows what we need in order to grow in Him, to open the spigots of spiritual refreshment which He has placed in our mouths and bodies. A spigot has to be squeezed a bit to open it, and those squeezes—the burdens others impose on us by their needs and sins—are not always pleasant. But they are God’s way of setting free the power of the Spirit within us to flow the love of Christ to the world.
So whenever someone’s burden encroaches on you, give thanks, accept the squeeze, humble yourself before the Lord, and take whatever next step will unleash the love of Christ toward addressing the needs of others.For reflection or discussion
1. Who bears your burdens with you? How do they do that?
2. How does bearing one another’s burdens strengthen the bonds of unity in a church?
3. How does burden-bearing help to equip us for sharing the Good News of Jesus with our neighbors?
Next steps—Transformation: Burden-bearing begins with listening. What can you do to improve your ability to listen to others as they are sharing their concerns and needs?
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
A good supplement to this ongoing study on the Church is our free PDF book, Pray for Your Church. Download your copy from The Ailbe Bookstore by clicking here. Also, we encourage you to visit our ReThinking Church page, where you’ll see a variety of free resources to help you church.
This week: Our Read Moore podcast continues an extensive look at the Kingdom of God from our book, The Kingdom Turn. In our Crosfigell teaching letter, we are looking at the state of pastors and churches during the period of the Celtic Revival, using contemporary witnesses. And in our Scriptorium column we are studying the Gospel of Matthew. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
