Societies Are Based on Community
Most functional societies are based on the concept of community, insofar as each member is vested in the community at large and has a sense of responsibility to the individual members. Indeed, we are our brother’s keeper. The Biblical principle of carrying each other’s burdens is found in Galatians 6:2: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2, New International Bible, 1978/2011).
The Scripture taken from Galatians instructs us to “carry each other’s burdens.” The verse implies reciprocity, a sense of responsibility between one and the other. If we are not careful, some people could pervert and misrepresent this directive. In some instances, people have used the verse to assign the role of “burden bearer” to themselves or others. Doing so is not only potentially blasphemous; it could also yield negative consequences.
We Are Not God
God called only Jesus to carry the weight of the entire world. He did not call us to shoulder everyone’s problems. That is His job, not ours. Furthermore, He called us to help each other, not to serve as a spiritual crutch or, in some cases, a receptacle. Therefore, when we attempt to “play God,” we assume tasks and assignments that we are ill-equipped to handle.
The Dangers of Going It Alone
During our daily walk, we should remember that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. Many of the battles that occur in the spiritual realm defy human comprehension. That is one of the reasons why the Bible instructs us to pray for one another. Remember, we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities (Ephesians 6:12). Consequentially, unilateral relationships leave one party vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks. Imagine the following scenario:
Fictional Scenario:
Imagine that you are a member of a local warrior tribe. In the early morning, you received a frantic call from a member of your clan. He stated that he and a member of an adversarial tribe had a squabble. He asked you to join him in a battle against the other group. You agreed. He provided the time and the location of the battle.
Later that morning, another tribe member approached you. He, too, had engaged another local tribe in battle. In your mind, you calculated that your tribe was bigger than the two adversarial tribes combined. You advised your friend to consolidate the battles and to have both tribes meet at the same location. In the afternoon, a third member of your village approached you with the same dilemma. You agreed to join him in battle. Again, you calculated that the size of your tribe would be greater than the three combined.
That afternoon, you fasted, prayed, and made the necessary preparations. When evening arrived, you arrived at the battle site. All three tribes were present and perched for combat. However, you were there alone. Not only did your tribesmen fail to attend, they also failed to inform the rest of your tribe. They lazily assumed that you had taken care of all the arrangements. As a result, the tribes overpowered and devoured you.
Matthew 12:29 reads, “…[H]ow can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house” (New International Bible, 1978/2011). The chapter further goes on to state:
“‘When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first,’” (v. 43-45)
Remember…
When entering battle against principalities, you and I have to be certain that we fortify ourselves with prayers, remembering that “the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (Corinthians 10:4, New International Bible, 1978/2011). Moreover, when we pray on others’ behalf, we have to ensure that we also have people covering us in prayer so that we are not vulnerable to the strongman’s attacks. Again, verses 43–45 say:
When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.
Conclusion
During this life, many of us will find ourselves in positions where we cannot pray through our situations. It’s quite possible that during those moments, life’s woes may seem insurmountable, and we will need to rely on our brothers and sisters in Christ to lift us up in prayer. However, I do believe that others in the Body of Christ should also lift up those brothers and sisters. In this way, we would be truly praying for each other.
Similar Post
Biblical Reference
New International Bible. (2011). The NIV Bible. https://www.thenivbible.com (Original work published 1978)