The Power of Being "Here": Bearing One Another's Burdens in Christian Community
Based on the August 18, 2024 message by Bryan Brunson
Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed, vulnerable, or out of your element? Maybe you've found yourself in a situation where you desperately needed someone to come alongside you and offer support. As a youth minister, I recently experienced this firsthand, and it taught me a powerful lesson about what it truly means to be part of a Christian community.
The Trek that Changed Everything
This summer, our youth group went on a Trek trip. Now, if you look at me, do I look like a mountain man? Do I look like somebody who can easily carry a 50-pound pack a couple of miles, pitch a tent, filter water, and cook food over a jetboil? Absolutely not! But our students wanted to go on Trek, so I agreed to drive the van.
Little did I know, this trip would become one of my most vulnerable moments in youth ministry. As we set up camp, I started feeling ill. At first, I tried to push through it, thinking it might just be anxiety. But soon, my whole body shut down. I was suffering from altitude sickness, and it hit me hard.
In that moment of weakness, something beautiful happened. Our students, who we've been teaching to love their neighbors as themselves, put their faith into action. One student in particular (who shall remain nameless to spare his embarrassment) grabbed me under his shoulder, walked me to my tent, and asked what I needed. He offered me granola bars, water, and even a pillow (though there are no pillows in the wilderness!).
This experience brought to life the words of Jesus in Matthew 22:37-39: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
The Power of Being "Here"
As I reflected on this experience, one word kept coming to mind: "here." Being physically present, showing up for one another in times of need – that's what it means to truly be part of a community. It's not about texting or making a quick phone call. It's about being there, in person, ready to bear one another's burdens.
This concept of being "here" for each other is at the heart of what it means to be the church. As Paul writes in Galatians 6:2, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." We're not meant to face life's challenges alone. We're called to be present for one another, to offer support, encouragement, and love in tangible ways.
The Battle We Face
There's a battle going on right now, and it's not one we can fight alone. The world tries to tell us that we can love God with just a little bit of our hearts, that we can still act and talk however we want and still claim to love Him. But God calls us to something deeper. He asks for our whole hearts, our entire beings.
As I shared with our students at camp, "Jesus is in this room right now. The Holy Spirit has filled this room, and we're partaking in its presence. It's filling us up, empowering us to do all of the things that we need to do this week to proclaim the word that these stories indeed are true."
Putting It Into Practice
So, how do we live out this call to bear one another's burdens and be "here" for each other? Here are some practical steps we can take:
1. Show up: Make a commitment to be physically present in your church community. Attend services, join small groups, and participate in ministry opportunities.
2. Be vulnerable: Share your own struggles and challenges. Allow others to support you, just as you support them.
3. Offer practical help: When you see someone in need, don't just offer thoughts and prayers. Ask how you can tangibly help, whether it's providing a meal, offering childcare, or lending a listening ear.
4. Pray together: There's power in communal prayer. Take time to pray with and for others in your church family.
5. Invest in relationships: Build deep, meaningful relationships within your church community. These connections will provide the foundation for bearing one another's burdens.
Remember, the battle belongs to the Lord, but we're called to fight it together. As we learn to be "here" for one another, bearing each other's burdens in love, we'll discover the true power of Christian community – a power that can change lives, including our own.