Although it may be impossible to literally bear your friend’s burden, you can still help by encouraging them. Your prayers and presence offer strength to gain the victory.
Hi, I’m Joni with a lesson about strengthening others.
Especially when they suffer. There’s a beautiful lesson about this in Luke 22. It says that when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane about to face the worst suffering imaginable, it says, “He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering …from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.’ Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him.” Okay, so, there you’ve got Jesus honestly admitting, wanting his Father to "take this cup," take the suffering involved in God’s plan, just take it away. Jesus knew the agony that awaited him: the horror, the dread of not only facing unimaginable torture, but also the unthinkable wrath of God for bearing the sins of us all. Jesus was hugely tempted in the garden, saying to his Father, “Please, if you’re willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me.” And here’s the thing, here’s the point, the lesson: as soon as Jesus decides, as soon as he chooses his Father’s will over his own, that is when an angel from heaven appears to strengthen him, to give him support, aid, and comfort.
Now, let that thought sink in, because it has powerful implications for you if you are the one who feels like caving in under a heavy trial. Because when you decide - when you with your will choose to yield to, to trust God - immediately, that is when divine strength girds you up. Jesus chose to be faithful to God’s plan, trusting that it really was the best, when he prayed: "Not my will, but yours be done." And as soon as Jesus prays those words, God sends an angel to strengthen him, illustrating the Bible’s promise that God will always, always empower people to do whatever he calls them to do. And here’s the thing: you can pass on this power, this strength, to others who suffer. You can be like that angel in the Garden of Gethsemane. I mean, consider it. The angel that appeared to Christ in the garden, that angel had absolutely no capacity to bear the burden that Jesus was facing, right? But that angel gave strength for Jesus to bear it. And you can do the same for others.
J.R. Miller puts it this way. He said, "When a loved one is struggling in their human Gethsemane, we often cannot give actual aid—the soul must fight its battles alone – but we can hold to the sufferer's lips a cup filled out of our own heart, which will give new strength. We can be as the angel who ministered [to] our Lord's Gethsemane—imparting strength and helping the weary struggler to win the victory." Oh, man, that is just so great, that’s wonderful! You can be the agent through which God gives power to that friend who’s struggling against temptation or maybe caving in under a heavy trial. You may not be able to fight your friend’s battles. You cannot literally bear their load or take their place, as much as you wish you could, but you can hold to your friend’s lips a cup filled out of your own heart. Your prayers giving strength. Your words of encouragement giving strength. Your presence, your “being there with them” will give strength. You can be as the angel who ministered to Jesus, imparting help and hope so that your weary friend can gain the victory. Wow.
Oh, friend, never, ever, underestimate the loving support – the power and the strength – that God wants to give to hurting people through you. He wants to use you. And it is more than an angelic calling; it’s the glorious calling for every Christian.
© Joni and Friends