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Thursday, October 17, 2013

Bear Each Other's Burdens and Share JOY in the Lord



          Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Be sensitive and compassionate as you share with others.

             Many of us have asked the question, “Why me?” especially when heartache and brokenness comes into out lives.  I’m not sure we are ever prepared to accept the loss of a child, the diagnosis of a terminal illness or the betrayal of someone we completely trusted.  It’s normal to ask, “Why me?” in those kinds of situations.

            When ministering to others who are going through deep sadness, we should be sensitive to their hurt.  Nothing we can say or do will take the intense sadness away…so why do we try to “fix things” for them?  Often, well-intended words do just the opposite of what we mean them to.  Even quoting scripture at the wrong time can pierce the heart and agitate! YES, God is faithful! YES, God is good! But when grief is “fresh”, words should be few.

            Nice little “plastic, spiritual phrases” as Barbara Johnson calls them, do not help people unlock their grief.  It’s so much better simply to put your arm around a grieving person and say, “I love you.” 

            There will come a time in each of our lives when we are the one who is grieving.  We must pray for guidance; trust the Lord for strength. But, also, we need to remember that He gives us one another to help us carry our burdens. Will you be the “burden bearer” for someone in their time of need?  Through the tears, we can allow the joy of the Lord to sustain us, uplift us and be the foundation of wisdom through which we reach out to others.

            Speak with your actions of compassion. Be sensitive to the Lord’s leading and share His joy by bearing one another’s burdens.    

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2

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