I recently went to the funeral of a fairly close family member. Usually, the grief is such that I tune out most things going on at a funeral. I’m simply trying to cope with the loss. I’m just trying to wrap my brain around the fact that the person I love is no longer here with me on earth. I have also pondered during funerals why it is that we spend so much money on the dead, why we give them all of their flowers when they cannot see, smell, nor appreciate the elaborate floral arrangements we have for them. Why is it that sometimes we have so many kind, loving, noble thoughts and words that we freely express during a funeral or repast, but we never found the time to tell the loved one those same sentiments while they were living?
We are all going to die. The Bible is clear on that fact. Hebrews 9:27 says, “...it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Death is sure. Sometimes our time on earth here seems very short. Scripture says that our lives are like a vapor in James 4:14. In light of these realities, Psalm 90:12 reminds us to maintain a sober perspective: “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
Be Intentional
What is that wisdom? In my mind it makes me think that since, in fact, we are going to die (and sometimes in short, unexpected order), it is essential to live the life we presently have in a more intentional way, being mindful of what truly counts in light of Biblical principles.
Going back to the funeral mentioned above, I recall mundane thoughts swirling through my mind throughout the service. But I did happen to pay attention to the sermonette given for my loved one. The pastor spoke about the difference between pallbearers and burden bearers. This caught my attention. A pallbearer carries the coffin of the deceased at their funeral. Generally, they carry the coffin out of the church to the hearse at the end of the service, and then they carry it at the internment from the hearse to the actual burial plot. Pallbearers feel honor in being able to do this for the one they love. It is a necessity, but it isn’t something a dead person can appreciate. After all, the deceased are in an unconscious state until Jesus returns (Ecclesiastes 9:5;1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; Revelation 20:1-6).
A burden bearer, however, is a horse of another color. This is a person who understands his or her mission here on earth in the lives of those who are living. Galatians 6:2 tells us to “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
What does this mean? It means that we take interest in the lives of others while they are living. We assist with the burdens of those who are having problems in life. It may take the form of listening when people are hurting, or taking groceries to a neighbor who has no food. It may be assisting a single mother with babysitting so that she can have a break. It could be saying encouraging words to a downcast soul. Bearing another’s burdens can be making a personal commitment to pray consistently for someone who has lost the energy, faith or even the ability to pray for themselves.
How much more effective it is to be a burden bearer for those who are living, rather than just carrying their coffin as a pallbearer when they die! Both have their place. But oh, the joy of being able to be like Jesus in making someone else’s life more tolerable, more hopeful or more meaningful by lifting up an overwhelmed soul in the midst of their difficulty!
Call to Action
May God give each of us a desire to lend an ear, lend a hand, and have a heart to help to those in need. Let us ask God to give us the compassion to truly pray for others while they are alive and can benefit so greatly. Why not give someone their roses today while they can smell them? It might be exactly what is needed to cheer a discouraged soul. Jesus is glorified, and everyone involved is edified, in the process of bearing one another’s burdens.
Let’s be burden bearers!!
All scripture taken from the King James Version.
