Carry Each Other's Burdens

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
– Galatians 6:2

History has a way of teaching us the same lessons over and over, again and again. In Exodus, Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, yet even after witnessing God’s power through the ten plagues, they hesitated to leave their slavery. They had grown comfortable in their bondage — food, shelter, and the predictability of life in Egypt made the idea of freedom feel frightening. They were leaving their comfort zone, and as Moses guided them toward the unknown, they complained constantly, forgetting that God Himself would provide if they remained faithful. Centuries later, the earliest Christians in Galatia faced a similar struggle. Though they had accepted Christ, many wrestled with leaving behind the legalism demanded by Jewish leaders. Judaizers insisted that salvation required strict adherence to old customs, and confusion spread among Gentile believers. Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians, in part, to remind them that true freedom is found in the grace of God. Christ’s sacrifice freed humanity from the chains of sin — not through rituals, but through faith and obedience to His commandments.

And just as the Israelites and Galatians needed reminding, so do we. Today’s world is overflowing with conveniences: endless entertainment at the click of a button, groceries delivered to our door, meals arriving without effort, and AI ready to answer any question. None of these are inherently bad — I use them myself. My wife and I ordered groceries yesterday, and we’ll probably use DoorDash tonight because it has been a busy week. Technology helps me research and manage ministry tasks. Convenience is not the enemy. But complacency is. The danger comes when comfort becomes captivity. If we grow so accustomed to staying home for every basic need, how much harder will it be to step into the world and serve others? If I’m not careful, I can become a slave to comfort, and I suspect many people face that same risk. The Israelites needed to be freed from the comfort of Egypt. The Galatians needed to be freed from spiritual legalism. Today, we need to be freed from the subtle chains of convenience and complacency. To put it simply, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”

Christ calls us to balance. I may order dinner or ask AI a question, and I also use Walmart+ to ship food and water across West Virginia. But truly carrying the burdens of others requires more than technology or financial resources, it requires real presence and real sacrifice. And so from time to time, I load my car with 60–70 gallons of water and drive five hours to the coalfields of West Virginia, where clean water is scarce. I drive several hours to towns recovering from floods. I record infrasound and test water for our research projects. These tasks are demanding, and I don’t expect everyone to do them. I also don’t list them to boast. I list them because when I opened my heart to God, He compelled me to physically go and do the work in areas where help is needed. And something unexpected happened: those long drives became some of the most fulfilling moments of my adult life. They are times of prayer, closeness to God, and genuine freedom.

In carrying the burdens of others, as Paul teaches, more than one blessing unfolds. We glorify God, we lift up our neighbors, and somehow, their burdens lift us up too.

Take Care and God Bless!