THE SHOULDER THAT CARRIES

By: Pastor Flávio Macieira - 2025

Day 4 of the "Imperfect Love: Grace for the Relationships That Wear Us Out" series.

Imagine you're in your apartment and you hear a struggle in the hallway. Your neighbor is trying, all alone, to carry a heavy, awkward sofa up a flight of stairs. He's sweating, out of breath, and the sofa gets stuck every couple of steps. You have a few options. You could peek through the peephole and think, "that's a shame," then go back to your business. You could open the door and shout, "You got this!", offering distant encouragement. Or, you could leave your apartment, go down the stairs, and say, "Let me get this with you. Put this side on my shoulder." In our relationships, we are constantly walking past people carrying heavy "sofas"—the burden of grief, illness, a financial crisis, or a crushing temptation. Christian compassion is not just feeling sorry or offering empty words; it's putting your shoulder under the weight.

So far, we have learned to bear with, to forgive, and to build up with our words. Today, grace calls us to step out of our comfort and into another's struggle. It's one of the most practical and physical commands in the entire New Testament.

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 (NLT)

Paul makes a brilliant distinction in the original language. The word for "burdens" here is barē, which means a crushing weight, something that exceeds a person's capacity to carry alone. Later, in verse 5, he says that "each person will have to carry their own load" (phortion), which refers to the backpack of daily responsibilities that each of us is able to carry. The lesson is clear: we are not called to do other people's work for them, but we are absolutely called to help when the weight of life becomes too crushing for a brother or sister to carry alone.

And what is the result of offering our shoulder? We "obey the law of Christ." The law of Christ is the law of love (John 13:34). For Jesus, love was never an abstract feeling. It was a towel around his waist to wash feet, the touch that healed the leper, the shoulder that carried a cross. Carrying each other's burdens, therefore, is the purest and most practical way to live out the Gospel. It's when love ceases to be a noun and becomes a verb. It's when the church looks less like a social club and more like a rescue team.

Your Next Step of Faith: Today's step of faith is an act of active compassion. Think of someone in your circle of relationships who you know is carrying a "heavy burden." Your mission is to go beyond a simple "I'm praying for you." Do something practical. It could be sending a text that says, "I'm thinking of you and wanted to ask, in a practical sense, how I can help lighten your load today?" It could be offering a ride, bringing a meal, or just calling and spending 30 minutes just listening, without giving advice. Offer your shoulder.

The Soul Mirror:

1. What is your most common response when you see someone struggling: distant pity, quick advice, or practical help?

2. What most prevents you from "carrying the burdens" of others (lack of time, fear of getting involved, not knowing what to do)?

3. Remember a time when someone helped carry a burden for you. How did that person's practical gesture impact you?

Let's ask God for a compassionate heart.

Lord Jesus, You who carried the heaviest burden of all on the cross, I confess that I am often selfish and insensitive to the pain of others. Forgive me for offering empty words when I could have offered my shoulders. Give me Your eyes to see the burdens people around me are carrying in silence. Give me Your heart to feel compassion and Your hands and feet to act. Teach me to love practically, to carry the burdens of others, and in doing so, to fulfill Your law. Amen.

We cannot relieve every burden, but we can always help carry one.

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