Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Galations 6:2

The Greek word translated  “burdens” in this verse actually has the meaning of “overburdens.”  And that more specific meaning can be a real help for women on the journey who are trying to achieve a balance between giving to others and saying no.

Imagine carrying a hundred-pond pack on your back.  Someone your size comes along carrying  a twenty-five pound pack and asks if you will take half the contents of her pack to carry on top of yours.  Clearly that’s not appropriate.

We aren’t asked to carry all of other people’s burdens; we’re asked to help them out when their load is just too much for them.  We are also urged to seek help when our own burden becomes too much.  A woman who is developing interdependence is a woman who is able to give help when it is truly needed  and seek help when her load becomes too much for her to carry.

God wants each of us to grow, and the burdens of our lives are His teaching tools.  Let’s daily ask ourselves if we are hindering  others by bearing burdens God wants them to bear or hindering ourselves by putting the burden God wants us to carry on someone else’s back.

Prayer:  Lord, give me the strength to carry the load you have given me, the compassion to help others with their overloads, and the humility to seek help when I really need it.