07-23 Correct with Compassion, Share the Burden

vmiwebteam
Jul 24
2 min read

Key Verse: "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1)

Reflection Questions:

What kind of attitude does the Apostle Paul teach us to have toward others and toward ourselves?
Why does he say, “Carry each other’s burdens” (verse 2) and yet also say, “Each one should carry their own load” (verse 5)?
When you see someone struggling with a burden or sin, what is your typical response?

The Apostle Paul taught that the entire law is summed up in one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Galatians 5:14). When he listed the fruit of the Spirit, “love” was the very first trait mentioned. In today’s passage, Paul zooms in on two specific ways this love is to be lived out: our attitude toward those who fall into sin, and our attitude toward those who are burdened.

Using imperative language, Paul urges the believers in Galatia to “restore gently” those who fall into sin, and to “carry each other’s burdens” (verses 1–2). He explains to those still concerned about keeping the law that this is how they “fulfill the law of Christ.”

Some people tend to view things strictly in terms of “right or wrong,” “black or white,” and can come across like judges when correcting others. Like the law-obsessed Pharisees, such people often “tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders” (Matthew 23:4) but are unwilling to lift a finger to help.

In contrast, the spiritual person — one who walks by the Spirit — still discerns right from wrong, still sees the need to help others change, but does so gently, without pride (verse 3), without overestimating themselves or comparing themselves to others (verse 4). They recognize their own vulnerability to sin and help others in a spirit of humility (verse 1).

The word “restore” in this verse is actually a medical term used for setting a broken bone — it implies healing, repairing, and making whole. To restore someone is not to punish them, but to help them be well again.

Moreover, when a spiritual person sees someone carrying a heavy burden, they come alongside and help (verse 2). They don’t measure themselves against others to build up pride but assess whether they are doing all they can with what they’ve been given (verse 4).

Finally, the spiritual person knows they are not the Savior. They are humble and willing to help others when they can, but they also recognize that each person must carry their own responsibility (verse 5). They don’t carry guilt when, despite doing their best, someone does not change or the burden doesn’t become lighter.

Are you more humble or prideful when correcting others?

Let us pray:

Holy Spirit, please help me to see myself rightly and be willing to walk alongside others, sharing their burdens with humility and love.