Scripture: Galatians 6:5
Each person will have to carry their own load.
Thought for the Day: Once again, our English translation doesn’t quite cut it. I think of load, and my mind thinks of a lot of things. I think about my load of laundry that is currently running. I think of the load of rock I carried into the back yard a few weeks ago as we are redoing some landscaping. I think about the load my son carries to school each day with his backpack and violin. These are all considered loads, but the word translated as load here is the Greek word Phortion. It basically means those things loaded onto a ship. We are each to carry our own cargo ship of stuff. That’s a lot!
This is where it might become complicated as we are invited to not only carry our own load, but to help one another. In other places in scripture, we are invited to carry one another’s burdens. This is all to suggest that we have a responsibility. If something belongs to us, no matter how we didn’t want it, it is ours to carry. If by faith, we are asked to assist someone along the way, Christ calls us to do so with out complaint. But as we speak about conflict resolution, I also want us to think about those times when technically only 10% of the burden is our responsibility. In those moments, it is so easy to blow some smoke, do some misdirection and have others believing our responsibility is nothing. As people of faith, when 10% of the burden is our responsibility, we should probably step up and take at least 11% for good measure.
Prayer: When the opportunity arises for me to pass off my responsibility, don’t allow me to do it. This is my request, Lord. As much as I may wish to pretend it doesn’t belong to me, help me to step up and acknowledge what is mine to own. Amen.
TOMORROW NIGHT
6:30pm
