“Love bears all things.”
1 Corinthians 13:7
“Love bears all things.” Such a statement! Who or what can bear all things? Only the love of God is able to “bear” all things. All weaknesses, all failings, all offenses, annoyances, misunderstandings, every pain and sorrow, persecutions, targeted hatred, crimes against humanity. You name it. The weight of the world. Now we know we are treading on holy ground. Love, as we have been discussing, is “no human quality, but the gift of God himself.”[1]
The Greek word for “bear” is the word stegei, meaning to endure patiently, to overlook or cover up offenses. To bear something is to carry the weight of its burden. To bear with another is to shoulder their burden, or weakness, or failing upon ourselves. Love like this seems counter-cultural in our world, where retaliation and retribution seem more equitable, where carrying more than our share seems unfair. Yet, this is how God has demonstrated his love to us. The Scriptures depict the character of God as knowing the burdens, the weaknesses, the failings, and even the sorrows we carry in our lives, and being willing to carry them with and for us. He is our strength and our very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)
God saw the oppression of his people and sent Moses. God saw the burden on Moses and sent elders. God saw the suffering of his people, generation after generation, and sent Jesus. “In all their affliction, he was afflicted; and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity, he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”[2] God has heard the cry of his people and He has come down.[3]
We are a heavy-laden people. We tend to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. We want to carry it all – every outcome, every injustice, every pain and illness. Small things too – details, perceptions and opinions. We think we have the strength, or the control, but we quickly find that we are not burden-bearing animals. Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”[4] He, the suffering servant[5], who bore our iniquities, has a place for all the things we cannot carry on our own. All things. We are to yoke ourselves to him, bind ourselves shoulder to shoulder with him, and let him carry the weight. “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” [6]
As his people, we are called to love as he has loved us.[7] We are called to bear all kinds of evils and wrongs. We are called to endure the slights, the failings, the weaknesses of others. We are called to shoulder sorrows and sufferings alongside others, so their burden will be somehow lightened. And we know our suffering is real and sincere. We are called to endure with patience these times of trials, not only in our lives but in the lives of those we love. We are called to “hang in there” and to “put up with anything” as Eugene Peterson says.[8] We are called to bear one another in love. [9]
We know God does not ask us to do anything for which He does not supply the resource to accomplish it. Jesus is our strength and the One who carries us as we fulfill his will for us. We know we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, and He will supply our every need according to his glorious riches.[10]
Lord Jesus,
I praise you that you are my very present help in trouble.
All I have to do is cry out, and you are here.
Whatever you have asked me to endure, you have supplied the means.
You are the Means.
You make all things good.
I praise you that you are raising up the people I love.
You are actively bearing them in your arms.
You carry them and me when I can hardly trudge another step.
You bear me up when I feel like curling up.
I know I can’t do this on my own.
Lord, I come to you.
Strengthen me each day for the work you have called me to do.
Give me a heart of love, a protective sheltering heart
for those who are going through a hard time.
I will not give up loving, because you never have.
In your name I pray,
Amen.
This is an excerpt from my new Bible Study called LOVE IS. If you would like to learn more, or participate independently online, click here: https://elizabethheadblack.com/love-is-study/.
[1] Prior, p. 232.
[2] Isaiah 63:9
[3] Exodus 6:5-7
[4] Matthew 11:28-30
[5] Isaiah 53:4-12
[6] Psalm 68:19, NIV
[7] John 13:34
[8] Eugene Peterson, The Message, (Colorado Springs, CO; NAV Press Publishing Group, 2003) p. 353
[9] Ephesians 4:1-3
[10] Ephesian 4:13,19