Life gives us responsibilities to carry and problems to work through. Most of the time, we try to handle them ourselves.
Think of those ordinary struggles as skirmishes. Generally, we have enough strength to fight them. Some are easily won, while others require us to muster more effort.
As we all know, a skirmish can all too easily become a battle because a problem may grow larger or last longer than we expected. At other times, the problem doesn’t change, but our strength diminishes as the fight wears on. What we carried yesterday exceeds our strength today.
Paul made an interesting distinction in Galatians 6. First, he wrote, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2, NKJV). Three verses later, he said, “For each one shall bear his own load” (Galatians 6:5, NKJV).
Which is it? Are we supposed to carry our own loads or help carry someone else’s?
Both. Each of us carries responsibilities that belong to us, but some weights exceed one person’s strength.
Moses knew something about that.
When the Amalekites attacked Israel, Moses sent Joshua to lead the fighting men. Moses climbed a nearby hill along with Aaron and Hur to pray for Israel. In his hand, he carried the rod God used to divide the Red Sea and bring water from the rock.
As the battle raged below, Moses raised the rod in prayer, and Israel prevailed. When his arm grew tired and he lowered it, the Amalekites gained the advantage.
Imagine standing on that hillside watching the battle shift each time your hands moved. Men fought below; their lives depended on the outcome. Moses knew what he needed to do, so he kept his hands raised in prayer.
Battles don’t stop because someone gets tired.
As the hours passed, Moses struggled to keep the rod raised. His arms grew heavy, and despite his effort, he couldn’t hold his arms up. Each time the hand holding the rod fell, the battle turned against Israel.
Moses couldn’t simply walk away. He had a responsibility to God who called him and to Joshua whom he called.
Then Aaron and Hur did something remarkably practical.
“But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun” (Exodus 17:12, NKJV).
Notice what they did. They didn’t immediately grab Moses’ arms and try to hold them up while he continued standing. They brought a stone so he could sit.
That simple act eased Moses’ physical strain. Sitting also made supporting his arms easier. Aaron and Hur didn’t have to duplicate his struggle. They found a practical way to help him.
Helping someone carry a burden doesn’t always require another pair of hands. Sometimes it takes another pair of eyes.
The person carrying a burden may see only the weight, while someone standing nearby sees a way to make it lighter. That’s what happened on the hillside with Moses. Exodus doesn’t tell us that he asked for help. Aaron and Hur saw his struggle and acted.
Love recognized the burden. Humility accepted the help.
Moses remained Israel’s leader. By accepting assistance, he didn’t diminish his authority or remove his responsibility. The help he received allowed him to carry out what God called him to do.
As believers, too often we assume that when God gives someone a calling, He expects that person to fulfill it alone.
God called Moses to lead Israel, but He didn’t expect Moses to do everything himself. Joshua was down in the valley fighting the battle, while Aaron and Hur stood beside Moses and helped him carry out his responsibility.
A pastor may receive a vision for a church, but bringing that vision to life requires the involvement of the congregation. The responsibility for leading rests with the pastor, but fulfilling that calling requires the strength and wisdom of others.
How many burdens grow heavy because too few people carry something that belongs to many?
Paul’s instruction to the Galatians wasn’t simply an invitation to feel sorry for exhausted people. It was an invitation to participate in another’s struggles and demonstrate Christ’s love.
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Earlier in the same letter, Paul explained, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:14, NKJV).
We often recognize someone’s exhaustion long before they’re willing to admit it themselves. So instead of offering another encouraging speech, we need to find a practical way to help. And if the battle lasts longer than anyone expected, we don’t abandon them. We stay.
For the person carrying the burden, love may require enough humility to accept help. That’s not always easy. Pride can convince us that because the responsibility belongs to us, we should have enough strength to carry it. We may even see accepting help as an admission of failure.
Remember Moses sitting on that stone. He accepted the help he needed. At the same time, Aaron and Hur didn’t take over his calling. They helped him fulfill it.
Even with Aaron and Hur’s help, the battle raged. The enemy didn’t disappear, and Joshua and his warriors fought on. Moses still had to keep his hands raised, but he no longer carried the weight alone.
Peace can enter a struggle even before the struggle ends. God brings peace by changing our circumstances or by sending someone who sees what we cannot. Their help gives us the strength to persevere.
Those people become peacemakers. They may never solve the problem or see the struggle end, but their love makes the burden bearable. They bring peace by helping you carry what you cannot carry alone.
Today there’s someone near you who needs a rock to sit on and a friend to hold up his hands. Are you that friend?
But what if you’re the one carrying the burden? What if your arms are growing heavy and someone is ready to lift you up? Will you have the humility to sit down and let them share the load?
The battle may wear on, but you don’t have to carry the burden alone.
About the Author
David Johnson has spent nearly fifty years in ministry as a pastor, evangelist, Bible teacher, missionary, musician, and ministry leader. He and his wife, Gail, founded Laurel Mountain Ministries, where they continue to teach, write, and serve together. David and Gail are the authors of PEACEMAKER: A Twelve Session Journey into the Heart of God’s Peace.
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