He Ain't Heavy: The Call to Bear One Another's Burdens

I hope your week is off to a great start. I was driving and listening to my music and an old favorite of mine came on. It reminded me of a devotional I wrote a long time ago and I went to digging for it…I found it and thought it was worth the reboot. Hope you enjoy. From June of 2019;I bet you wouldn’t think I would write about a Neil Diamond song would you? Well, I am...sort of. Stay with me here;I believe that the Lord Jesus wants me to encourage you to look after your friendships and not neglect them, nor take them for granted.We need each other, especially in these turbulent times in which we are living. In the book of Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, we see the tremendous value in having a friend. And being one. There was a beautiful Neil Diamond song released many years ago (for you young kids, trust me) based on an encounter that the song writer had while walking down a dark, wet, cobbled stone street in the East-end of London late one night. There was a small street-child carrying his baby brother on his back, the song writer stopped and offered to help, as he could clearly see the small boy was struggling with the weight on his back. But the little boy's reply was, "He ain't heavy sir, he's my brother".We've got to help each other much more than what we are doing now. It's a commandment from Jesus:“Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:11“Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”Galatians 6:2 While things may be going your way, we all know someone who’s struggling. Instead of keeping your head down and charging forward with your own life, maybe take a minute and walk beside “your brother” and helping them along. Before you know it, they may just be well on their way again. Just a gentle word of encouragement, or a gesture, a small lift of the burden, does amazing things for our brothers and restores on many levels.Be Nice. Grace wins.