“Bear ye one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ,” Galatians 6:2.
This verse was a central part of the girls’ program I attended on Wednesday nights at church growing up. It is permanently engrained in my memory as a key part of Christian living. I remember the picture used to illustrate this verse; a man dressed in ancient attire picking up a full knapsack for someone with a weary expression.
This illustration painted a clear picture of the call to care for others by carrying their burdens.
However, there is another part of this story that is important as well. A believer has to be willing to lay their burdens down and allow someone else to pick them up. My experience with the church body is there are many who are willing to give help, but fewer who are willing to receive it.
I definitely cannot point fingers on this one.
I have been guilty of refusing help time and again. My own insecurities and pride have kept me from allowing someone else to pick up my knapsack of need and carry it for a bit. Sometimes, my struggle is allowing someone into my vulnerability, and showing them my need in the first place. Other times, allowing someone to help me feels like I am being a burden. I know I am not alone in this. Our culture puts a strong emphasis on being independent and self-sufficient. The 20th century ushered in an era of pride in our own capabilities. In the early 1920s the phrase “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” went from its original definition of doing the impossible, to meaning “to succeed or elevate yourself without any outside help.” 1
This mindset is greatly contrasted with what the early church looked like in Acts 4:32.
Rather than everyone looking out for themselves, the believers shared everything they had with one another. That means when one person needed a hedge trimmer they didn’t go out and buy one, they borrowed someone else’s. When someone needed help moving to a new house they didn’t hire movers, the church gathered together to get the job done. There was no need for everyone to have their own grill, lawn mower, or treadmill. The believers shared with one another what they had. This required people not only loan out their belongings to others, but have a willingness to ask to borrow items as well.
Asking for a cup of sugar might not be so bad, but what about money?
One of the most humbling things I have ever had to do was to ask for support as our family prepared to go to the mission field. We needed to find people who would be willing to support us financially in our mission. The traditional, and let’s be honest, the easier thing to do would be to send out a generic, but well-crafted letter explaining what we were doing, and asking for support. However we chose not to take this approach. Instead, we chose to sit down and have face-to-face meetings with potential supporters. Adam and I shared our story, and why we felt God was calling us to go to Haiti. Then came the awkward part. The ask. Meeting after meeting this portion of the conversation never got easier. Some people said yes. Others said no. Ultimately, a community of believers pulled together and provided us with 100% of our budget! We knew that for some who committed to support us it was a great personal sacrifice. For others, it was an easy opportunity to share the resources that God had blessed them with.
Being willing to give and serve others is a wonderful posture to take.
However, in order fo fully follow the example set by the early church, we need to be willing to ask for and receive help as well. In Kingdom Culture this is not a sign of weakness, laziness, or selfishness. Instead, it is part of living life open handed, being generous with our resources, and loving well.
What is something that you can ask for help with today?
robinson.kristin186 says
We have lived this out both ways. Here in the US it is just plain easier to buy the things we need and do what we need to do rather than try and ask for help. People’s schedules are often full or it is just plain inconvenient to wait for someone or something to be available. When we lived in Haiti this was much easier. In fact it was a way of life. We just knew that it was not possible or practical for everyone to have all of their own stuff or do everything on their own so we shared. We shared a grill, trips to the store or open market, we shared food for dinner and special events, supplies, ect. I would love to get back to that place where we join together and share things freely despite the fact that our society isn’t set up that way.
Iee Robinson says
Pride is truly the issue when you accept help then greed when you withhold it. Both are heart problems.
Thanks