The Tension of Responsibility
“For each will have to bear his own load.”
— Galatians 6:5 (ESV)
Recently, I had the honor of preaching at Home Church in Brandon, MS—funny enough, it’s also the church my family and I attend! Home Church truly is our home church.
We were wrapping up a series entitled Either | Or, which dealt with the reality of blessings and curses, life and death. In some areas of life, there are no in-betweens—either we choose life or death, blessing or curse.
In my message, we walked through Paul’s teaching in Galatians 6:1–10. It’s an incredible passage that reveals three tensions we all experience: the tension of Restoration, Seasons, and Responsibility.
Tension isn’t always a bad thing. By its very nature, tension means there’s stretching, pulling, or pressure on both ends of a situation. Think about a guitar. To tune it, you have to create just the right amount of tension on the string—not too much, or it will snap; not too little, or it won’t produce sound. Even the slightest adjustment can bring perfect harmony or throw everything off. The tension has to be just right for the music to ring true.
So it is with our lives. Each of us faces tensions that need to be tuned—personally, in our families, workplaces, churches, and communities. In a world constantly pulling at us, how do we know what to respond to?
Paul gives us a clear standard: “For each will have to bear his own load.” Earlier in the same chapter, he says we are to carry one another’s burdens—so which is it? The answer is both. We share burdens, but we each carry our own load. I can help you with your burden, but I can’t carry your load.
So what’s the difference between a burden and a load?
In my life, I serve as a pastor who works with churches and leaders across Mississippi. But before that, I’m a father to two incredible young men. Before that, a husband to an amazing wife. And before all of that, a child of God.
There are responsibilities in my life that only I can handle. No one else can love and serve Christy the way I should as her husband—she’s my wife. No one can train up my children in the way they should go like I can as their father. No one can read the Bible for me or pray the prayers I need to pray to build my relationship with Jesus. Those are mine to carry.
You have responsibilities in your life that belong to you alone. That’s your load. The real tension comes when we don’t know how to handle what we’re responsible for. That’s where the beauty of community comes in—bearing one another’s burdens.
As a young man, I didn’t grow up with a daily example of what a loving husband and father looked like in my home. I had to learn. I’m grateful for the godly men who came alongside me—men I could look to and learn from. They couldn’t make my choices for me, but they could guide me and encourage me along the way.
Why is this so important? Because either we bear our load, or we pass on a burden. I refuse to pass on a burden to my wife, my children, or my future grandchildren simply because I failed to handle the tension of my responsibilities now.
My prayer for you today is that you’ll do the same. Don’t run from responsibility—embrace it. Don’t delegate what God has called you to carry—own it. Bear your load, and trust in Jesus.
Prayer
Jesus, I pray for my friends reading this today. Help them see the responsibilities in their lives that only they can carry. Surround them with godly men and women full of wisdom who can guide them when they don’t know what to do. Give us strength, wisdom, and courage to navigate the tensions of life. We know it starts by trusting You and living out our faith daily. Help us, Holy Spirit, to walk this out faithfully. Amen.
