Bear Ye One Another's Burdens, or Bear Your Own Burden?

Gal 6:1  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 

Gal 6:2  Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 

Gal 6:3  For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 

Gal 6:4  But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 

Gal 6:5  For every man shall bear his own burden. 

Did someone say that there is no law in the New Testament? Well, the apostle Paul clearly stated that there is a law of Christ, which is to “bear ye one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2). Our Lord has commanded us to help one another, especially since we are a family in Christ (Ephesians 2:19). It is truly a blessing to be part of a family where we can support one another during difficult times.

However, 3 verses away, the apostle Paul goes on to say: “For every man shall bear his own burden” (Galatians 6:5). This may lead to some confusion: should we bear one another’s burdens, or should we bear our own burden? Let us consider how both instructions gel together.

1. Bearing one another’s burdens and bearing your own burden are both important

Mutual support and personal responsibility go hand in hand. The church will not succeed if every member is only looking out for themselves, but not for others. It is hard to finish this Christian race by ourselves. Just as lions love to prey on the solitude, Satan loves it when Christians are alone (1 Peter 5:8). Hence, we are called to assemble regularly to mutually exhort one another (Hebrews 10:24-25).

The church will also not succeed if members are looking out for one another, but not working to improve their own selves. It is difficult to help those who do not help themselves (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Mutual support will be ineffective when the individuals are not interested in personal growth (Matthew 7:6). Hence, the church will succeed when every member is striving to help themselves and one another.

2. Before we can bear others’ burdens, we need to bear our own burden first

One way that we can bear one another’s burdens is to restore those who have been overtaken in sin (Galatians 6:1). However, in order to do that, we must first be “spiritual.” It would be difficult to provide spiritual help to others when we ourselves are spiritually immature. It would be difficult to help others overcome sin when we ourselves are struggling with the same problem. Hence, before we can help others, we need to first help ourselves. We need to grow in spiritual maturity, so as to equip ourselves to become more effective helpers.

Even those who are supposedly spiritually mature need to take heed to themselves (Galatians 6:1). They may be capable of helping those who are weak, but that does not mean that they are perfect. No one is immune to Satan’s temptations (Romans 3:23; 1 Peter 5:8). We need to beware because, if we are not careful, even the strong can fall (1 Corinthians 10:12). Hence, we need to adopt a “spirit of meekness” (Galatians 6:1). While we take care of others, we need to also take care of our own souls.

3. By bearing others’ burdens, we are bearing our own burden

The apostle Paul challenges those who think themselves to be something to prove their own work, and not to deceive themselves (Galatians 6:3-4). Those who claim to be spiritually mature must prove themselves. They can do so by fulfilling the law of Christ: bear one another burdens! (Galatians 6:2). A spiritually mature Christian is a Christian who is active in helping the brethren.

Here, we also learn something important: we can ensure our own salvation by helping others to be saved. Timothy was exhorted to continue in the doctrine, so that he can save both himself and those who hear him (1 Timothy 4:16). Of course, not everyone whom we try to save will be saved (Luke 10:16). Nevertheless, when we strive to perform the soul-saving work, we will surely gain God’s approval and salvation (Matthew 10:32-33; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

Concluding remarks

May we all strive to fulfil the law of Christ. Let's work together, as a family in Christ, by mutually supporting one another, while also exercising personal responsibility. Let us bear one another burdens, as well as our own.