The word burden means “a weight, a concern, a worry, a struggle or a difficult situation. But Galatians 6:5, says, “Each one should bear his own load.” How can we bear someone else’s burdens if we are each supposed to carry our own loads?

We each have certain obligations for which we alone are responsible. For example, for our families, friendships and our personal relationship with God. We cannot assume the responsibility for someone else. We can, come alongside a struggling person and help shoulder the weight of a trial or temptation that threatens to pull him/her under.

We can illustrate this idea with the picture of a woman trying to get a stroller with a child in it down a set of stairs. She will try to negotiate the stroller slowly and carefully as she allows the wheels to slowly lower onto each step. But there is a danger that a slip could injure the child. A friend sees the situation offers aid by lifting a part of the stroller and assisting the woman to the bottom of the stairs thereby easing her load. Although the supportive one does not assume the whole load, her help allows the struggling one to carry on to her destination.

We are each responsible before God for the gifts and resources He has given to us. We cannot blame others, shift responsibility, or make excuses about why we have difficult situations – we must bear our own loads. But there are also times when life threatens to overwhelm: a spouse dies, a child is injured, a job folds or a house burns down. As part of the family of God, we are to come to the aid of others in need. When a load suddenly becomes too heavy for one person, we are to bear one another’s burdens. The added strength and encouragement of others is often the difference between someone pressing on or giving up.We should aim to bear our own loads, while always being available to bear the burdens of others as Christ asked us to do.