Galatians 6:2 "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
God's word tells us to carry each other's burdens, but how can you do this without getting burdened yourself? Lets look at the first verse of Galatians 6:1 (KJV)
Galatians 6:1 (KJV)
"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."
This verse tells us a few things:
Only those that are spiritual should help people overtaken in a sin.
These spiritual people should restore the fallen person in the spirit of meekness.
If you don't follow this direction, you might also be tempted of sin.
Only those that are spiritual should help people overtaken in a sin.
"ye which are spiritual", NIV translates this as "you who live by the Spirit", what does it mean to be spiritual?
Romans 8:1
"...to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit"
This clearly tells us that those in Jesus seek the Holy Spirit and not the flesh. What this is NOT saying is "every Christian is under the Spirit". If you've accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, repented of your sin, and have been baptized then you have the Holy Spirit, but having the Holy Spirit doesn't mean you're led by Him. It's like having glasses but only wearing them to read. Just because you have glasses doesn't mean you can see, you must first put on the glasses, THEN you can see. We see evidence of this in 1 Corinthians 3: 1-3.
1 Corinthians 3: 1-3
"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men??
Paul was pointing out how the church of Corinth was carnal and because of this, he couldn't talk about spiritual things. Clearly, this church was full of people filled of the Holy Spirit (Stated in 1 Corinthians 1:9), yet they were not walking by the Holy Spirit. Then Romans 8:6 tells us to be spiritually minded because the Holy Spirit is life and peace, and to be fleshly minded is death.
Galatians 5:16
"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."
That's a powerful declaration from God's word. Walk in the Spirit and you will NOT fulfil the lusts of the flesh. To be spiritual is to be filled of the Holy Spirit and to be walking in the Holy Spirit/ led by the Holy Spirit. When doing so, you don't fulfill the desires of the flesh. The same desires as the fallen brother in Galatians 6:1.
Spiritual people should restore the fallen person in the spirit of meekness.
What is the "spirit of meekness"? Meekness if the fruit of the Holy Spirit, look at the fruit of the Holy Spirit below:
Galatians 5:22-23
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
So then, meekness can only be produced by the Holy Spirit, and not of our own doing. Lets look at the Hebrew to English translation for more understanding of the word, meekness:
Meekness = gentleness & humility
Humility soberly looks at itself and sees flaws through the lens of truth. I has no hidden selfish agendas, but looks at sin through the truth of the gospel. When humility in a spiritual person see's a brother or sister in Christ that has fallen, it doesn't point and laugh, it reminds itself when he was in the same position. And shares the grace Jesus had when Jesus picked him up out of the same pit. Humility looks at sin and see's an opportunity for love, mercy, and teaching.
Now think of all the times you fell before God, and how merciful He was to you. You cannot be Christ-like without Christ in you, this is why you must be a "spiritual person". It doesn't take long for us to think of all the people in Christ who made things worse for us as we fell. Sometimes people don't even have to say anything for you to feel their fleshly judgement, it doesn't feel good. This is how people get in Church hurt. I've seen it in my own family, something terrible happens at church and instead of a person led by the Holy Spirit coming to help, you get even more evil. People who are offended, people who identify with race rather than Christ, and tons more. Nothing of the flesh can heal, only hurt.
If you don't follow this direction, you might also be tempted of sin.
There is a reason God's word says only spiritual people should help those who have fallen to sin, how can you help those falling to sin if you're in the mud with them! God is saying if you're a carnal baby in Christ, then you shouldn't help.
First an foremost, if you don't want to obey the word of God you're NOT going to get blessed and you'll only hurt the person you think you're helping. Only the power of the Holy Spirit can actually help people in rough situations. Your carnal mind cannot receive the things of the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
If you aren't being led by the Spirit of God, you cannot provide any value and you end up just taking on the burdens yourself. It is only the Holy Spirit that has the power to take the burdens of another and give peace:
Matthew 11:28
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
John 14:27
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
How to Practically Remove The Burdens of Others
Jesus is the only one who gives peace, he is the only one who stops fear, and the only one who gives rest. If you would be led by the Holy Spirit, you can make yourself a vessel for His power to operate.
I can only compare being led by the Spirit to speaking in tongue. Before you spoke in tongue it most likely played out in the following steps:
Before you spoke in tongue you read the word of God that said it was possible (1 Corinthians 12:10 "to another different kinds of tongues", Mark 16:17 "they will speak with new tongues").
You had faith and believed it was the truth of God (2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God...")
Then you spoke in faith
Taking someone's burdens is really just being sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is telling you then acting on it in faith. God won't bless it if it's not done in faith. One way you can take the person's stress is to walk them through a prayer, this is you giving room to the Holy Spirit to operate. He will not fail you if you have enough faith, and I've seen this work a handful of times in my life. Below is two resources on the type of prayer, take a look at it and keep it on your heart the next time someone could use a touch from God:
Pray-along in written format:
Glory to God if this blessed you! Jesus is King and Lord over all :)