Day 6: You were not meant to carry this alone

Reflect

Many of us believe, quietly, that we ought to handle our own troubles. When work is shaken, there can be a particular shame in it, a sense of having failed at something we were supposed to be good at. So we go quiet. We tell people we are "fine" and "keeping busy."

The Bible's picture is different. Paul writes to a church that they should carry one another's burdens, and that doing so fulfils the law of Christ. Notice that it is a plural, shared task. Faith was never meant to be a solo endeavour. A burden that is carried by two is not twice as heavy. It is closer to half.

It also helps to remember the other side of the table. If someone you cared about were going through this, you would probably want to know. You would not think less of them. You would feel trusted. Letting a person help you is often a gift to them as well as to you.

This does not mean telling everyone everything. Choose carefully: a pastor or church leader, a friend who listens well, a family member who is steady, a counsellor. One honest conversation is a good start. You do not need a solution to bring along. "I am in a hard season and I would like to talk" is a complete request.

If you do not have anyone like that right now, that is a hard thing, and it is worth saying so to God today. It is also worth noticing, gently, as something to build in the weeks ahead. Community is one of the main things this season can teach us to value. We will come back to it in the third week.

Verse

“Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”

Galatians 6:2 (KJV)

Journal

Who comes to mind as someone I could talk to, and what is making it hard to reach out?

One small action

Send one message or make one call today: "I am in a hard season at work and I would like to talk this week. Are you free?" Then let it be.

A 60-second breath prayer

Breathe in: “Lord, I do not have to be alone”

Breathe out: “show me who to call”

Breathe slowly for about a minute, saying the first line as you breathe in and the second as you breathe out.