Bearing Burdens and Protecting Your Heart
By Emily Rose Massey
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23, NIV).
Although I know to run to Jesus when I am emotional, weary, or anxious around others going through a dark time or just need to vent, I sometimes find myself tempted to take on their negativity and anxiety. I then inevitably “feel all the feels.” I want to help them through the struggle. I want to bear their burdens like the Bible says we are to do (Galatians 6:2). I want to be empathetic towards them- to put myself in their shoes. All good things, right? Sure …as long as you don’t lace up those shoes and run off with them! Ultimately, we cannot control the sadness or destruction in the world or others’ lives or others’ behavior or actions. Still, we can control how we react to it all and keep our emotions in check. Before we become involved in someone else’s problem or emotional experience, I believe the most important thing we must do is guard our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 reminds us:
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (NIV).
We don’t want our hearts to become someone else’s dumpster, especially if that person takes advantage of our kindness and compassion. Considering the heart is the soil in which we bear good fruit (Luke 8:15), we must protect it from negativity, worldliness, worry, bitterness, anxiety, etc., at all costs. Those things will only act like weeds that may hinder the growth of the seed of the Word of God in your life.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
We have all experienced loss and pain in our lives- whether that is a loved one passing away, divorce, infidelity, miscarriage, infertility, financial crisis, or losing a job, the list could go on and on. Since no one is exempt from encountering tragedy and difficult seasons, we all have this common bond as humans. That’s why when the news breaks about a tragic or traumatic event in the world, like a mass shooting or the sudden death of a dear friend, (normally) it cuts us deep in the heart. Often, a part of us hurts those who are hurting. Christians are called to mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15).
Sometimes the pain may hit closer to home than what popped up in your newsfeed on Facebook or Instagram or in the breaking news you might have caught on TV- it might have happened to a co-worker, a best friend, or even your spouse. In this instance, we mourn with them. We lend our ear and our shoulder for them to cry on. Sometimes we find ourselves crying with them; our hearts are heavy because we see them suffering somehow, and everything in us wants to either take the pain away or fix their situation.
The best thing we can do is simply stand with them in their pain and point them to the only One who can bring wholeness, peace, and comfort. Encourage them with Scripture because it will be an anchor of hope to them in their storm. Pray with them and for them any time the Lord prompts you to. Walk with them in their trial and grief so that they know they are not alone in their suffering. Of course, if they are a believer, they will always have the Lord’s nearness, but God will put you in people’s lives who are struggling for precisely that very reason, just to be near. Through this time, you can encourage them with Scriptures that remind them (and you) to turn to the Lord when you are in need. Allow God’s Word to fill you with His hope so that others’ difficulties do not drain you. Yes, we are called to carry one another’s burdens, but mostly importantly, we help them carry those burdens to Jesus, the One who strengthens us on our journey and promises true peace and rest.
Further Reading:
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