Bearing One-Another's Burdens

Living in this world is extremely difficult. We long for perfection, peace, joy, love—a world (personal life) without hurts and pains.

It feels like each day is just another day spent on just surviving life. A life engrossed with our own faults; surrounded by the ever-vast faults of each individual in our life (directly and indirectly).

We are told by Jesus that we have HIS same overcoming ability facing anything that comes our way. But how do we do that when:

• No one is perfect.
• All people have faults.
• All people have issues.
• All people hurt.
• All people "wish" for better.

The Lord can’t protect us from ALL people… in that He can’t violate a person’s free-will to cause hurt (whether what you cause or what other people cause you). For it really is people that cause us much pain.

Jesus actually stated (in the same sentence He said we overcome) that we will have “tribulation”—meaning we will be afflicted, anguished, burdened, pressured, oppressed, distressed, and in dire straits.

So how does the Lord personally care for us?

As His child and someone He truly unconditionally Loves, He does His utmost to bring people into your life to help you get through life. Sometimes those people find ways to uplift you, fill your “needs coffers”, bring joy, and more.

Positives!

And sometimes, it is people that He brings which help you confront (consciously and subconsciously) your strongholds—those areas in your life you picked up from this world that don’t align with the Lord.

Not because it is “wrong” or “sinful”, but because He actually just wants to set you FREE from those things that bind and limit you.

Also a Positive (even though we feel the pains of this confrontation)!

Remember, He is not condemning you for what exists in your life—He only meets you where you are, to help bring you UP.

The world trains us (raises us up) to live in FEAR and to be fearful. All He wants to do is break that fear and instil Love (for yourself, to yourself, and towards others in your life).

My Journal: I'm angry—angry that so many years of my life were taken away by my wrong thinking. Taken away by fear. I let fear bind me and keep me captive.

The Lord’s Response: Stop Chris—you are blaming yourself. It's not your fault, it's the reality of that world. Why do you think I restore 7-fold minimum your life on this earth. You were captive, but you aren't anymore. Yes, you do have some relearning to do as to who YOU are. You are MY unique person, shaped and formed after me. Fear shaped your identity around your dad—but freedom is going to shape you around Me. Now stop feeling sorry for yourself and enjoy the Life and the Freedom I have Died & set you free for. You and others. So much fear, so much mistaken identity. I have you now. I have always Loved you. Be patient, be for each other as you are. Enjoy life. Remove the other fears, Chris. REMOVE THEM. Take that risk and be Free.

In both those aforementioned “positives”, He brings you the best for where and when you are in life—we just need to believe that in the now and in the future.

Sometimes these people exist for a season; other times for a lifetime.

But, as I am guilty of, I am always thinking that it will only be "in the future" that all will be better. I get so future-focused, that I miss LIVING and LOVING in the now—both in receiving and in giving.

NOW is the time for the Lord’s LOVE. NOW!

So, yes, in the future it will be comparatively better; but it (also) won't be perfect—not till we get to heaven.

You (me/us) will always be growing, changing, into Me (Him) to be better for others.

It's a never-ending process because every step in life has new challenges that expose "new" strongholds.

And we'll never be without new challenges; thus, we'll never be without strongholds surfacing in your/my life and relationships.

Yes, you and I have tackled many of these stronghold along the way to where we are now, but you and I can't tackle them all—not at the same time.

This is where the Lord has us covered though—to quote Tim Ross:

"The Lord gives all His Grace; not only to the one who offends you,

but to you too to handle the offense."

Offenses WILL COME—by all people everywhere—whether they (we/me) mean to or not.

One of the natural tendencies of humanity is to focus on the fault to try and correct it. We see this in our own upbringing as we get punished for our mistakes. Sadly, broken by that punishment because we are treated as being our faults. Even when, as a child, there was no intent… only a response to the world around us.

This is then duplicated in a “church” or at our school. Our behaviour mistaken for our identity. Which in-turn amplifies and reinforces our self-doubt, guilt, shame, and internalised traumas.

We actually have a choice to treat the person (Love the person) independent from their “mis” behaviour.

For all of us, the lesson is: Don't look at the person as the fault (stronghold), look at the stronghold as the fault; but don't focus on the stronghold.

Focus on the person, not their stronghold.

We actually neglect their needs by fighting their stronghold. Whether as a child or as an adult. Whether to others, or others to you.

You (we) cannot fight that for them.

Bear their burden by not letting it get to you.

You (I) have your/my own they have to bear with too.

We cannot "carry" their strongholds (burdens). We, instead, have to stand strong under the often "weight" of them to see past them, see through them, to stay focused on the person (not the stronghold)

To bear the burden is to stand strong in the Lord through it (under it).

It's not literally carrying it, but metaphorically—you can't literally "hold" someone's burden—that's fixing, and we know what that brings: hurt, disappointment, inability, frustration, anger—it creates expectations that, like perfection, can never be met by you or the other person—a double-negative effect on health and life and your soul / heart / mind.

It's not possible for us to be a god (yes we are like gods, but not the Lord or His capability).

Yes, we try (to fix) because we actually do want the best for the other person.

But we can end up trying without the Lord; thus, becoming our own god, instead of relying on Him, our True Father God.