GOD’S DESCRIPTION OF LOVE, Part 20 continued. - BEARING OUR BURDENS WITH JOY

v. 4: “much patience, afflictions, necessities, distresses,
v. 5: “stripes, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watchings, fastings,
v. 6: “pureness, knowledge, longsuffering, kindness, the Holy Ghost, love unfeigned,
v. 8: “honor and dishonor, evil report and good report, as deceivers, and yet true,
v. 9: “as unknown, and yet well known: as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
v. 10: “as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.“

In 2 Corinthians 11:22-28 Paul lists more burdens he had to bear:

v. 23: “labors more abundant, stripes above measure, prisons more frequent, deaths oft.
v. 24: “Five times I received 39 stripes from the Jews.
v. 25: “Three times I was beaten with rods (most probably with ribs broken and muscles torn), once I was stoned, three times I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
v. 26: “In journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, ;in perils of mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
v. 27: “in weariness, painfulness, watchings often, hunger and thirst, fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
v. 28: “those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily (toils, hard work, tent making, daily struggles to survive, etc.), the care of all the churches (agonizing for them in prayer, writing to them, visiting them, and teaching them).

The apostle Paul really knew what it was to bear with burdens in order to spread the gospel of Christ. The burdens we bear in our lives fail in comparison.

The apostles and pioneers of the early churches all knew what it was to bear heavy burdens, yet they did not complain. They counted it all jo (Acts 5:41 and James 1:1).

Fathers and mothers, we are called to be burden bearers. We are also called to raise and teach our children to be burden bearers. We should bear our burdens without complaining or negativity, but with joy.

Romans 15:1: “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”

Romans 15:1-3 (HCSB) says: “Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves. Each one of us must please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even the Messiah did not please Himself.”

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell