Everyone shall bear his own burden

“Bear ye one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ…But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden… For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap…And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”  (Galatians 6:2-9)

Paul goes into a lot of detail here and I have just skimmed the surface. So he’s saying Christ expects us to help one another, strengthen and uplift another, but we each are responsible for our own works. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap,

My husband used to say that more damage is done by do gooders than if they had minded their own business. And we hear these stories every so often about someone who sees a scuffle and runs to help. They disable the undercover police officer who is trying to arrest the bad guy and the bad guy gets away. Or someone is whacking a child in the back trying to dislodge something the child is choking on and they try to rescue the child.

I myself have been guilty of more minor infractions. Like while feeding a stroke patient I separated out the part of the meal I didn’t like only to find out that was her favorite part. One time I decided that someone that had just returned from the hospital would enjoy someone to talk to for an hour when what they really needed was someone to clean their bathroom. I am sure that each of us have many examples of doing good that has gone wrong.

It helps to pray about things before helping someone or ask the individual what they need, but there is not time for that when you think someone is being hurt. This is probably why we also hear of people being mugged or even killed and passer bys pay no attention. It’s a difficult situation and the Spirit will guide us in making these split second decisions if we are in tune.  

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread…because they see the big picture. So help other, but pray about it first.

   

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness...

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness temperance.” (Galatians 5:22)  

If it doesn’t bring you peace and joy and all that other good stuff it is not of the Spirit or of God. Before this Paul list the works of the flesh: hatred, wrath, strife, along with adultery, fornication, idolatry and etc. And yet we do not need to be involved in idolatry or adultery or etc. to feel the effects of strife, hatred, wrath and etc. We are in the world and those things exist around us. We could not be tested and tried if they weren’t.

So what can we do about that? Reading the scriptures helps. I used to write quotes and put them on the refrigerator where I would see them when trouble hit. Keeping a prayer in your heart is another thing that helps. What I mean by that is that after you get up off your knees from praying in the morning you continue to pray in your heart.

Does strife seep in despite my armor? Sure does. Sometimes worse than others, but we work moment to moment for that peace and joy and to feel the Spirit.  

We should not fear death

A long time ago when I was a child, maybe ten or twelve, my best friend and companion in mischief died of Scarlet Fever. This was my first real experience with death. It seemed unreal to me that someone I cared about so much, someone so young would stop living. I decided to treat it as unreal, and refused to accept it. The day of the funeral came. Everyone was dressed to go except for me. When Dad inquired I finally confessed that I refused to accept the death of my friend.

He sat down next to me and among other things he explained to me that we all die. Young or old we must all die. From the moment we are born and begin to breath we begin to die. We should not fear death, he explained. If we live our lives well, in honesty and truth we will return to heaven from where we came. If we have done the best we can death can be a good thing.

That was a long time ago and I don’t remember his exact words, but they made an impression on me. As Paul explains, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)

  

While in this mortal body things happen that are good, bad, painful, unfair, horrible, wonderful and glorious. There is a purpose for our being here and for each of us that purpose is different. The scriptures tell us that we each have different gifts that we may bring to pass the purpose of God. I didn’t take time to look up the scriptural reference but if any have questions let them search it out on their own or respond to this post and I will look it up. The point I want to make here is that there is a purpose to our lives and at some point we will return to give accounting for what we have done in this body we were given.

We need not fear neither man, nor demon if we walk in faith, believing then knowing that God lives.  If we know this then God knows us and will welcome us home when our work here is done – “For we walk by faith not by sight.”  (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread because they see the big picture.

Paul speaks about humility in his second letter to the Corinthians. He says. “For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure.” In other words he is saying we should not make ourselves bigger or more important than a mere human when we are but a tool to be used by the Lord. A tool does not decide on its own to build a house or repair the faucet.  Fools rush in where angels fear to tread because the angels see the big picture. They see the outcome of our wish list. We pray Lord help me to be rich, but the Lord knows that if we were rich we would waste it on our lust. “Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lust.” (James 4:3) As it says in the song Come, Come ye Saints, “Tis better far for us to strive, our useless cares from us to drive…Why should we think to gain a great reward if we now shun the fight? Gird up your loins. Fresh courage take. Our God will never us forsake.”   

If we carry a child everywhere they will never learn to walk. Never run or exceed. It is the same with life. If the way was made too easy, we become a broken tool. The Lord know the laws and rules and we are but little children who kick against the pricks as Paul himself did. We are but mere children. The Lord is in charge.

How wonderful to become new and clean.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

It is such a wonderful thing to become new and clean, to repent and be forgiven – old things gone away – a new beginning with a clean slate. For all of that we must still endure until the end. This is not done in fear and trepidation that we will fail, but with faith as we gain strength and are guided by the Holy Spirit from glory into glory. We may slip but that is why we need to have a routine time for prayer that we may keep the slate clean. That we might always have his Spirit to be with us.   

Let all things be done in charity.

“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith … Let all your things be done with charity.” (1 Corinthians 16:13&14)  

What are we watching for? Ourselves? Yes. We are the only one who can change our heart. Only we and Christ know what we need to repent of and we are the only one who can make that repentance and accept the gift of Christ.

Stand fast in the faith. There are things that I know beyond a shadow of the doubt and yet on other things my faith wavers. It isn’t that I doubt God. I doubt my ability to comprehend. Is this thought from the Holy Spirit or another? Is this the answer to my prayer? Is this God’s will, or do I want this to happen so bad that I think it is from the Spirit? I am such a worry wart. If I go back to basics. If I am quiet and look inside myself, what I’m feeling and what I know then the answer comes to me.

Let all things be done in charity or love. Let it be Gods will for he knows all things. If I pray Lord MAKE this person do such and such, that prayer will not be answered. Lord show me how I need to change Help me to love this individual and show me what I need to do in love and according to thy will, is a much better approach.