Live Free: Carry This, Not That
Updated: 2 days ago
What Are You Carrying?
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” — Galatians 6:2
We all carry things. Some of us bear the weight of past mistakes. Others deal with difficult relationships, grief, or disappointment. Some carry responsibilities from God. Others carry burdens they were never meant to bear.
In Galatians 5:24–6:5, Paul paints a vivid picture of what it means to follow Jesus and be led by the Holy Spirit. Central to this message are three types of burdens we encounter.
Live by the Spirit
Paul reminds us:
“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
What we live by shapes how we are led. If we follow our flesh, we will be led by its desires. But living by the Holy Spirit means we should expect to be guided by Him.
This journey isn't about instant perfection. Following Jesus is a gradual process. Over time, the fruit of the Spirit should become more evident in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Paul offers a practical test of spiritual maturity. It isn't about how much we know or how long we've been believers. The real test is:
How do we respond when someone else messes up?
When Someone Falls
Paul writes:
“Brothers and sisters, if anyone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.”
Notice what Paul doesn't say. He doesn't tell us to judge harshly or to make their mistakes public. He simply says: restore them gently.
This response is crucial. When someone around us falters, our flesh might react with pride or criticism. We might think, I can't believe they did that. I would never do something like that. Or perhaps we feel a sense of relief if someone we compare ourselves to stumbles. At least it’s not me.
But Paul teaches that being Spirit-led means leaning towards restoration.
God Is a God of Restoration
Consider restoring an old piece of furniture or a classic car. Restoration takes time, patience, effort, and often money. You don’t restore something because it’s worthless; you restore it because you see its value.
There may be beauty hidden beneath the dirt or damage. Restoration reveals that value. God sees people in this way. You might look at yourself and see failures, shame, or brokenness. You may feel unworthy of God's love. But God is a God of restoration. He sees your true value and is willing to invest time and grace into restoring you.
Because God values people, we should too. This changes how we respond when someone falls. Instead of celebrating their failure, we come alongside them. Instead of adding shame, we offer grace. Instead of saying, “You should have known better,” we ask, “How can I help you through this?”
Restoration can be costly and frustrating, but people are worth it. People have issues, but people are not issues. You have issues, but you are not an issue. Neither is the person next to you.
Carry One Another's Burdens
Paul continues:
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
The Greek word Paul uses here is baros, referring to the heavy things in life that weigh us down. This could be grief, difficult relationships, parenting struggles, or battles with temptation. Sometimes, life simply becomes heavy.
Paul's instruction is clear: Don't carry it alone. The church is not a group of people pretending everything is fine. It’s a community where we can say:
“I’m struggling.”
“I need help.”
“Things aren’t okay at home.”
“I’m carrying something too heavy.”
And it’s about responding:
“Let me come alongside you.”
“Let’s walk through this together.”
“You don’t have to carry this by yourself.”
This is how we fulfill the law of Christ: we love people by helping them carry what is heavy. There’s beauty in this. When we allow someone to help carry our burden, we free our hands to help carry someone else’s.
But There's Something You Must Carry
Then Paul introduces a seemingly contradictory statement:
“For each one should carry their own load.”
Wait a minute. Paul just told us to carry one another's burdens, and now he says to carry our own load. Which is it? The answer is: both.
Paul uses a different Greek word here: phortion. A baros is a heavy burden, while a phortion is a load assigned to you. Jesus echoes this in Matthew 11 when He says:
“Take my yoke upon you... For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Jesus has given each of us specific things to carry: our responsibilities, calling, purpose, influence, relationships, decisions, and our walk with Him. These are things no one else can carry for us.
Helping Can Sometimes Hurt
This distinction is vital because we often try to carry burdens God hasn’t asked us to bear. When we see someone struggling, we might rush in to fix everything. But there’s a difference between carrying someone’s burden and carrying their responsibility.
We should help others through life’s difficulties, but we don’t need to remove the consequences of their choices. Sometimes, helping can unintentionally disempower them by doing what God has called them to do themselves.
So, we need wisdom. Carry the burdens. Don’t carry the responsibility. Support others, but don’t take ownership of what God has entrusted to them. And remember to carry your own load too.
The Burden You Were Never Meant to Carry
There’s one more type of burden to consider. In 1 Peter 5:7, we read:
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
This word refers to anxieties, cares, and concerns—the things that keep us awake at night. These are the questions we can’t control:
Will everything work out?
Will God come through?
Am I enough?
Does God really love me?
What if something goes wrong?
These burdens were never meant to be carried by us. We can take responsibility for what God has entrusted to us and help others with their burdens, but some things are beyond our control. Those belong in the hands of Jesus.
Give God What You Cannot Carry
Imagine trying to lug around an enormous weight everywhere you go. You might manage for a while, but eventually, it will exhaust you. You may become tired, frustrated, and overwhelmed. You might even feel angry with God, asking, “God, why are You making me carry this?”
But what if He never asked you to carry it? What if you’ve been holding onto something meant to be surrendered? Many of us are exhausted because we try to carry tomorrow today. We hold onto fears, anxieties, and shame from our past. We bear expectations that God never placed on us.
Perhaps Jesus is saying:
“You were never meant to carry that.”
Cast it on Him. He cares for you.
Three Things to Remember
So, what do we do with all of this?
Carry your own load. Take responsibility for what God has entrusted to you—your calling, purpose, relationships, decisions, and walk with Jesus.
Carry one another's burdens. Don’t isolate yourself. Be humble enough to ask for help and compassionate enough to support someone else when life gets heavy.
Cast your anxieties on Jesus. There are things you cannot control and burdens you were never designed to carry. Give those to Jesus.
You were designed to carry your God-given purpose. You were meant to take responsibility for what He has entrusted to you. You were created to walk alongside others when life becomes difficult. But you were never meant to carry the weight of tomorrow.
So today, ask yourself:
What am I carrying that God has asked me to carry?
What burden do I need to allow someone else to help me carry?
And what am I carrying that I need to surrender to Jesus?
You don’t have to carry everything. Some things belong on your shoulders. Some belong in the hands of your community. And some belong at the feet of Jesus.
You were never meant to carry it all.
Life Group Questions
When you hear the phrase “carrying a burden,” what comes to mind for you?
How do pride, comparison, and envy affect the way we relate to other people?
Why can vulnerability be difficult? What makes it hard to say, “I need help”?
What is something God has entrusted to you that you need to take greater responsibility for?
What is something you're currently worrying about that you need to surrender to Jesus?
Why do you think we sometimes struggle to believe that God actually cares about the things that concern us?
If you could leave one burden at the feet of Jesus tonight, what would it be?
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