A burden shared is a lighter load.
And God gives the shoulder according to the burden.
~ German Proverb
At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
~ Jesus, LORD of Lords (in Matthew 11:25-30)
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
~ Galatians 6:1-2
Some of us have found a profound secret. We truly have become persuaded that the Christian life is totally impossible. We have given up any hope in ourselves. We have despaired that we can make our lives any better. We abandoned any shred of self-sufficiency. Our lives simply came undone before a great G_d and His impossible mandate for holiness.
And this is very good news.
Because, in that moment of despair, G_d’s grace took on a whole new aspect in our existence. With none of the “I” in us in the way, we became profoundly aware that His power to work in our lives is not just epic – it is infinite.
Blessed are the poor in spirit… and this blessing is not just a happy feeling after a happy meal. It is, rather, the bestowal of infinite cosmic power to take names and kick ass in the Kingdom of heaven. Yeah, in Him we are epic warrior poets, imbued with the Word that made the worlds – and even now holds the same together.
In Him, we are mighty men being men; woman being women. We are FINALLY running according to Design specifications. We are the dauphins of the thrones of the millennial and eternal Kingdom. We will crush evil like holiday revelers crush glasses in a fireplace.
In Him, empowered by His Spirit, we are now a genuine problem for evil.
And in the morning watch, as we prepare for our days… In our evening meditations…. As we dwell asleep (but fully alive) dreaming of Him… On our knees, learning to listen… As we feast on Him and His Word… We suddenly begin to look out around us and we begin to see the world as it really is.
It is filled with a population where almost no one can really function. Our own sin, the devil, and other people’s sin have made such a mess of almost everyone – that almost no one can help each other. We are barely breathing. We are wretching and lying in our own waste. It is a horrible scene.
Were we just there a few days (or even minutes) ago? YES.
But, now we are not. We suddenly are aware that there is a HUGE job ahead of us. And just before we become overwhelmed, He brings one person into our view. One person who He is enabling us to help. Just one. And this one is barely breathing.
What do we do?
Breath for them.
Now, surely surely surely, G_d has no grandchildren – AND HE surely surely surely does not need us to try to do any saving on our own. However, He has made us strong for many purposes. And one of those purposes is that we might serve as an emergency source of Life for those perishing around us. We are so full of life, that we have a source of “emergency” Life that we can pour out on the wounded.
Said simply: we can impart His Life in us – onto the weak and dying. And this we must sometimes do, that these hurting and dying people might live. We must impart our very Life breath into those around us.
Careful now. The only way this works is for us to stay permanently connected to the Source of Life ourselves. If we try to go out and give our own life to the world, that same world will chew up the tiny morsel we are, and spit out the gristle. But, connected to an Infinite Source of Life, we become able to help more and more people on a continuous basis. And we do it without running out of anything. We do not burn out. We, rather, Live in Him – having full range of motion and being.
Can you see them yet beloved? Keep listening. Keep going down the path of giving up any hope in yourself… And don’t be surprised if you wake up one morning to the sound of your friends and neighbors choking and dying.
See you on the battlefield friends. He’s got another one for me.
