Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. – Galatians 6:1-
Paul recognized that there may be those among the Christians in Galatia who had been overtaken in a sin. Paul’s wording here speaks not of a determined and hardened sinner. Instead, the idea is of someone who has fallen into sin, finding themselves trapped in a place they never thought they would be. They are not to be ignored. They are not to be excused. They are not to be destroyed. The goal is always restoration.
The gospel restored us to relationship with God. Similarly, we are to “live out the gospel.” This means we also are responsible for helping other’s relation with God be restored. In a sense, this the entire goal of the new testament. This job of restoration is often neglected in the church. We have a tendency to either pretend the sin never happened, or we tend to react too harshly towards the one who has sinned. The balance between these two extremes can only be negotiated by GENTLY and SPIRITUALLY restoring that person. It should be normal to do what God says here, but it isn’t. It is all too easy to respond to someone’s sin with gossip, harsh judgment, or undiscerning approval.
These means are by no means gentle. God’s restoration must always be done in a spirit of gentleness, with full understanding of our own weakness and our own corruption. Those doing the restoring must guard against the temptation of pride, as well as the same temptation one struggled with. When Paul brought up the idea of the one overtaken in any trespass, it painted the picture of a person sagging under a heavy load. Here he expanded the idea to encourage every Christian to bear one another’s burdens. The focus isn’t on “expect others to bear your burdens.” That is self-focused, and always leads to pride, frustration, discouragement, and depression. Instead, God always directs us to be others-focused, and says, “Bear one another’s burdens.”
So who in your life is carrying a burden you can help with? Who in your church needs a shoulder to carry the load? Maybe you are the person who is struggling with the weight of life. Are you willing to ask your Christian friends for help? Christian community is not easy. By no means is it simple, but it is honest. Be honest with yourself today and sacrifice your own needs for someone else. If you are in need, ASK FOR HELP! I am the worst at asking for help. I know the mental tolls it takes to do something alone. Luckily for us, God doesn’t want us trying alone. He wants us trying together.
Amen