Episode Transcript
[00:00:07] Speaker A: Welcome to the weekday podcast of Sugar Hill Church where we desire to help you know God and discover your purpose, whether you're exercising, driving, meditating, or just hanging out while you tune in with us today. Thanks. We hope these next five minutes help you feel encouraged and inspired for your day.
[00:00:22] Speaker B: Hey everybody, and thanks so much for joining me on this weekday podcast. Today I want us to talk about how we are designed for interdependence. Galatians, chapter 6, verse 2 makes this statement. Carry each other's burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
I read that and I am reminded of a phrase that I think is so funny when somebody says, not my circus, not my monkeys.
I mean, truly, I've heard this before. Not my circus, not my monkeys. It's kind of freeing to think another person's drama isn't ours. But the heartaches and suffering of other people and their tragic circumstances are indeed our circus and those people are our monkeys. God's word instructs us to die, to self, and take on the burdens of others right alongside them. You see, we live in a culture of selfishness. Self care is so highly promoted. Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for self care, but not when it keeps us from fulfilling God's destiny for our life. You see, while taking care of oneself is a really good thing, it becomes problematic when we're caught in self absorption and we fail to care about the burdens of others. The worst about it all is when we fail to even notice the heartache that surrounds us. This is the me first mentality. If it's inconvenient or doesn't serve a purpose, if it interferes with my peace or is uncomfortable in my life, if there's something not in it for me, or if it doesn't bring me happiness, well then it's not my circus. However, that's not God's way. That's not how he made us to live. We were not designed to be completely self reliant. I mean, that's just not true. Well, scripture says this way. It tells us to carry each other's burdens. Now the Greek word for burden is baros, which conveys a weight that is heavy or crushing.
I bet you felt that way before. I mean, you felt like you're carrying a weight that's so heavy you could fall under it and you could be crushed. When someone is under a pressing weight, it is the responsibility that we have to stoop into that burden and help carry it with them. Yes, there's no question it's messy. Yes, it's always hard work and I promise you it is most often radically inconvenient. Yes, it's going to require all the strength that we have to lift it, but lift it together we must, because that is our calling.
The purpose of the book of Galatians was to confront people who were falling into legalism, the strict adherence to self imposed law, or an attempt to gain salvation through good works. It's as if Paul the writer was saying, if you want to be preoccupied with obeying the law to the point of making your lives more difficult, instead preoccupy yourself with taking the burdens off your neighbor. My friend, this is a great day to stop and say who has the Lord placed in my path that I need to help carry their burden? God bless you friend, and thanks so much for joining me on today's weekday podcast.
[00:03:53] Speaker A: Thanks so much for joining us today for the weekday podcast. Our prayer is that the encouragement you just heard would help you live more like Jesus today. We would love to see you at Sugar Hill Church for one of our gatherings each Sunday at 9, 30 and 11, and we're always streaming live at Live Sugarhill Church. Thanks again for joining us today. As always, if today's message encouraged you, share it with friends and family by tapping the share button. Have an awesome day.
