1 00:00:02,700 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:13,450 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening 3 00:00:13,510 --> 00:00:18,209 Speaker 1: to Daily Devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stonge, and 4 00:00:18,250 --> 00:00:23,390 Speaker 1: today's devotion is inspired by Galatians 6, verse 2, which says, 5 00:00:24,410 --> 00:00:29,100 Speaker 1: bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 6 00:00:31,500 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: Every season of life presents us with new challenges. There 7 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 1: are concerns that have the potential to burden our minds 8 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:40,500 Speaker 1: when we're young, and there's a different set of concerns 9 00:00:40,540 --> 00:00:43,450 Speaker 1: that have the potential to burden us when we're old. 10 00:00:44,330 --> 00:00:50,949 Speaker 1: If left unaddressed, these concerns can lead to depression and despair. Thankfully, 11 00:00:51,390 --> 00:00:54,130 Speaker 1: our Lord Jesus Christ desires to take the weight of 12 00:00:54,230 --> 00:00:58,310 Speaker 1: our burdens upon Himself. He isn't calling us to fend 13 00:00:58,350 --> 00:01:01,010 Speaker 1: for ourselves personally. And he isn't calling us to try 14 00:01:01,030 --> 00:01:05,309 Speaker 1: to be overly self-reliant. He reminds us of his presence 15 00:01:05,790 --> 00:01:09,850 Speaker 1: and he offers us his strength. He's also blessed us 16 00:01:09,930 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: with the church, which is our Christian family. He surrounds 17 00:01:13,780 --> 00:01:16,740 Speaker 1: us with brothers and sisters in Christ who help us 18 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:20,940 Speaker 1: grow in our faith by making intentional investments in our lives. 19 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,320 Speaker 1: He also reminds us that our Christian family is there 20 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:26,980 Speaker 1: to help us when we have burdens that are too 21 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:34,860 Speaker 1: heavy for us to carry alone. A powerful expression of 22 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:37,979 Speaker 1: this kind of love is our willingness to bear one 23 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:42,680 Speaker 1: another's burdens. Christ calls us to help each other through trials, 24 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: encourage one another when we're down, and pray for one 25 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:49,740 Speaker 1: another when we need strength. Not only is this a 26 00:01:49,780 --> 00:01:52,660 Speaker 1: powerful form of help for brothers and sisters in need, 27 00:01:53,180 --> 00:01:56,580 Speaker 1: it's also a visible testimony to the unbelieving world of 28 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:05,070 Speaker 1: what it truly looks like to follow Jesus. Let's pray. Lord, 29 00:02:05,110 --> 00:02:07,290 Speaker 1: we thank you for your word. And we thank you 30 00:02:07,310 --> 00:02:08,810 Speaker 1: for the privilege that it is to be able to 31 00:02:08,870 --> 00:02:12,290 Speaker 1: read this portion of scripture today from the book of Galatians. 32 00:02:13,290 --> 00:02:15,220 Speaker 1: And Lord, as we look at this portion of your word, 33 00:02:15,620 --> 00:02:18,859 Speaker 1: you remind us of the nature of our relationship with 34 00:02:18,980 --> 00:02:22,780 Speaker 1: one another. You tell us here to bear one another's burdens. 35 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: And we do so, Lord, knowing that you have given 36 00:02:25,940 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: us the power to do this. You've also given us 37 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 1: an example of what it looks like as you bear 38 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: our burdens, as we unload our cares, we unload our 39 00:02:35,260 --> 00:02:38,579 Speaker 1: burdens on you. And we learn to practice this same 40 00:02:38,660 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: mindset toward one another as we willingly bear one another's burdens, 41 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:47,220 Speaker 1: knowing that you're doing the same thing for us. But Lord, 42 00:02:47,260 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 1: sometimes it's easier for us to say this than practice it. 43 00:02:51,690 --> 00:02:54,410 Speaker 1: And it's not so much that we're unwilling to bear 44 00:02:54,530 --> 00:02:57,870 Speaker 1: one another's burdens. Sometimes the problem is the fact that 45 00:02:58,150 --> 00:03:01,890 Speaker 1: We're not willing to share what's burdening us with others. 46 00:03:02,450 --> 00:03:04,990 Speaker 1: I know that in my own life in particular, that's 47 00:03:05,050 --> 00:03:07,770 Speaker 1: been a struggle that I've wrestled with because I don't 48 00:03:07,810 --> 00:03:10,570 Speaker 1: want to weigh others down. I don't want to overly 49 00:03:10,650 --> 00:03:14,470 Speaker 1: concern other people. And as a result, I've paid the 50 00:03:14,510 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 1: price for that. But Lord, you tell us here that 51 00:03:17,860 --> 00:03:20,799 Speaker 1: within the church, you want to see a culture of 52 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:26,140 Speaker 1: brothers and sisters in Christ bearing one another's burdens. And Lord, 53 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: we know that as we do so, it relieves us 54 00:03:28,660 --> 00:03:31,540 Speaker 1: of anxiety. We also know that it gives us a 55 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 1: taste of the joy that it is to help somebody else. 56 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,340 Speaker 1: And we're grateful for the fact that you've modeled this 57 00:03:37,460 --> 00:03:40,460 Speaker 1: for us and encouraged us to make this kind of 58 00:03:40,660 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 1: intentional investment in one another's lives. And again, we do 59 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 1: so because we're trying to reflect you. We're trying to 60 00:03:48,660 --> 00:03:52,330 Speaker 1: mirror what we've seen you do for us. And we're 61 00:03:52,370 --> 00:03:55,770 Speaker 1: grateful that you've set this standard. So thank you, Lord, 62 00:03:55,790 --> 00:03:58,210 Speaker 1: for this reminder that we're not going through life alone. 63 00:03:58,450 --> 00:04:00,850 Speaker 1: We have you with us. We have our brothers and 64 00:04:00,910 --> 00:04:04,630 Speaker 1: sisters in Christ surrounding us. And we have the power 65 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:08,180 Speaker 1: of your Spirit enabling us to accomplish all that you 66 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:11,620 Speaker 1: ask us to do. Thank you again for bringing these 67 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:17,119 Speaker 1: things to our mind today. We pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.