Bearing Burdens and Reaping and Sowing
Paul tells the church to bear one another's burdens. That means help each other through the tough times. We can't "expect" others to help us as that leads to disappointment and is very self focused. But simply, find a burden that another carries and help them with it (Galatians 6:2). This is is part of the new commandment that Jesus gave us which was to love one another. It can be tiresome when we are loving people as we can expect the same love back when we need it. But Paul tells us not to grow weary of doing good as we will reap in due season (Galatians 6:9). That means when the time is right, just like with a crop, the fruit will be produced.
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No Obstacle and Not Being Unequally Yoked
Two verses jump out to me today. One is verse 3 that tells us that Paul's ministry was not designed nor can it be justly accused of putting an obstacle in anyone's way. The Corinthian Christians could falsely accuse him of anything they wanted, but when it got down to it, there was no justification in the accusation. In verse 4-10, Paul gives a running list of the things that his ministry has endured from sleepless nights, beatings, and imprisonments. They are treated like impostors and liars yet they are truthful. They were able to endure all of this through "truthful speech and the power of God."
The second verse that hit me was a reminder that we are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Corithians 6:14). This didn't mean we could not speak to non-believers to them. But think of a connection that people have be they friendships, marriage, business. Christ followers submit to God understand that God's grace saved us for reconciliation. An unbeliever is not linked to Jesus, which is why they are an unbeliever. You can't charge an iPhone with a cordless phone jack. They would be unequally connected and the same applies to our lives. You have that connection with Christ so the closest people to you that are yoked (or linked) to you should also be connected to Christ.
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Heavenly Dwelling and Reconciliation
It is hard to read this section of text again (2 Corinthians 5:1-10). The last time I did, a friend of mine was reading it after he was diagnosed with ALS. He died within the year he was diagnosed. He knew then that his earthly body while imperfect was not his only body. It was a tent that was temporary. He knew that his Heavenly dwelling with the Father was eternal and would be painless. He was courageous and walked by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
And since Christ died for our sins we must know why that happened. He was God in the flesh and sold out for the will God too. His dying for our sins made it so we could be reconnected and reconciled with God even though we sin. We had to accept what Christ did through God's grace and minister about that reconciliation to God (2 Corinthians 5:17-19). We do not have to live in distance from God on earth or in Heaven.
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