“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”—Galatians 6:2 (ESV)
Some commands in Scripture stop us in our tracks, not because they are confusing, but because they are costly. God has a way of asking things of us that seem humanly impossible and then lovingly equipping us with what we need to carry out His instruction. Tucked within every command God gives is a grace-filled promise, not of ease, but of presence and power, capability and opportunity.
So, when Galatians 6:2 charges us to “bear one another’s burdens,” it is not just an inspired suggestion. It is a clear instruction that reflects the heart of Christ. Thankfully, as with all of God’s commands, we are not left on our own to fulfill it. We can fully trust that, along with this command, will come the open door and the strength to walk through it.
Bearing another’s burdens is not glamorous, neat, or simple. It is not quick or easy, and it does not always feel rewarding at the moment. It is costly. It is inconvenient and often emotionally, spiritually, or otherwise messy. However, it is also sacred and precisely how we fulfill the law of Christ—the law of love.
What does it mean (and not mean) to bear burdens?
Having daughters and nephews who have played various sports over the years, my wife, Renee, and I are no strangers to the occasional twisted ankle. As a concerned parent, watching from the stands while a young athlete writhes in anguish, we wish we could zap the pain away so they can get back on their feet and back in the game.
Usually, it takes a coach, athletic trainer, or teammate to help them to their feet, throw an arm under their shoulders, and safely help them back to the bench. Often, once the injured student stands, the crowd will cheer, believing that though they may not get back in this game, they will regain their strength and be back at it soon. That moment would not be possible without the help of a trusted teammate or empowered leader who is equipped and prepared to come alongside the one who is hurting to temporarily shoulder their burden in their moment of weakness. The goal is to help them through the painful setback back to the place of safety, stability, and rest on the way to healing, and ultimately, get back into the game.
There is something special about burden-bearing. It is not intended to remove the hardship entirely, and it does not involve fixing an individual’s life by solving every problem. Burden-bearing is not a cure, and it is not forever, but it is a deeply loving way to share the weight for a season while offering prayer, presence, strength, and support. It means putting your arm around a loved one or friend to help them carry the weight they can’t manage on their own. It may be temporary, but it is intentional, and it is deeply Christlike.
The Bible offers many images of burden-bearing. Simon of Cyrene was pulled from the crowd to help carry Jesus’ cross (Luke 23:26)—a moment of physical burden-sharing in the shadow of Calvary. The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) not only noticed the wounded man but also stopped, stooped, and sacrificed to help him. He bore the burden materially, emotionally, and physically. The early church practiced mutual support (Acts 2:44-45), distributing resources and care so no one among them lacked.
Burden-bearing is not an abdication of boundaries or a relinquishing of authority. It is not a rescue from hardship, but rather the assurance that our loved ones in the Lord do not have to face those hardships alone. This kind of love walks with people in their pain and accomplishes something uniquely important—it fulfills the law of Christ. It is not the law of performance or productivity, but the law of sacrificial, servant-hearted, Christlike love.
The church and our relationships within it should be the first place, not the last, where someone runs when they are hurt, where they feel safe enough to confess their pain. Our failure to adequately bear each other’s burdens can foster a culture where people feel they must hide them instead.
Burden-bearing is the assurance that our loved ones in the Lord do not have to face hardships alone.
What does genuine burden-bearing require?
- Empathy. Bearing burdens starts with understanding. It means being willing to listen, to linger, and to care. It requires suspending judgment to enter someone else’s reality without rushing to fix it.
- Obedience. If Galatians 6:2 is a command, then obedience is required, even when it is hard or we feel inadequate. We obey, not because it is easy, but because it honors God, and we trust that where God commands, He also empowers.
- Love. Bishop Harold Spellman of Peniel Ministries defines loving as “serving.” It seems obvious, but the selfless serving of others sums up Christian love, and it is crucial to effective burden-bearing.
A Legacy of Bearing Burdens
Peniel was founded by the late Dr. Marion Spellman, who had a burden for her substance-abusing brother and for the pain that her mother carried in fear of losing a son to addiction. Her personal anguish became a lifelong mission and the foundation for a place of healing and burden-bearing.
Those who struggle with addiction can stretch the practical, relational, and spiritual bandwidth of any local church. That is why Peniel continues to serve as a burden-bearing arm of the church, to come alongside pastors, families, and congregations who feel overwhelmed. This is our assignment. For over four decades, Peniel has been a place where men and women find a dedicated team of loving professionals prepared to shoulder their pain with them. Not just to sanitize and solve the problem, but to offer guidance and support while believing for healing.
Helping someone walk the long road of recovery from addiction means entering with them into their deepest pain, masked traumas, and areas of brokenness. It is not solely about getting them to an altar or through the door of a church. Rather, it is about bearing with them through mistakes, relational strain, spiritual doubt, and emotional turmoil.
We do not bear burdens because it is noble. We bear burdens because it is the law of Christ, and through His Word, He has commanded it. In fact, some of the most seasoned burden-bearers among us are quietly carrying some of the heaviest burdens themselves. It is a holy paradox: in pouring out, we are being filled. In giving grace, we receive it. In carrying another, we find strength for ourselves.
The same God who calls us to bear with others meets us as we answer His call. He supplies strength as we give it away. Where He commands, He also equips. He is the One who simultaneously gives the open door and the strength to walk through it.
Wrongly, we often think that if we cannot fix something for someone, then we have nothing to offer. This is not true. Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer is not a solution but simply ourselves. A listening ear, a tender heart, and a shoulder to help bear the weight can make all the difference.
If you want to fulfill the law of Christ, find someone whose burden you can help carry and start walking with them. In Christ’s kingdom, the outset of victory often looks like showing up, staying near, and helping someone when they cannot stand on their own. Let us be a people marked not by self-preservation but by sacrificial presence. Let our churches be places where burdens are not hidden but are shouldered.
Durean Coleman is the executive director of Peniel Ministries—an inpatient, faith-based substance-abuse rehabilitation program in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Learn more at penielrehab.com