Day 260: Our Brother's Keeper

1 Corinthians 8:13

So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.

Galatians 6:1-2

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

I know many of us have had the conversation about being our brother’s keeper. Meaning, is it our responsibility to take care of someone else? Are we responsible to make sure that someone stays on the right path, that we are doing whatever we can to help take care of them. Are we here to look out for one another? Before I say yes, I’m going to say that it is written pretty clear in the bible when Jesus tell us to love God and love one another. When He says love your neighbor as yourself, I believe that it covered us being our brother’s keeper. Meaning, we’re not going to let someone we love stumble and fall. We are not going to watch our neighbors fall and not do anything to help them up. What I’m getting at here is that we are indeed  our brother’s keeper, just like Jesus is for us. He picked us up at our lowest points and put on the path to righteousness. He gave us eternal life. Never did He judge us or tell us we were at fault, but he took on our burdens. He put Himself on the line for us. It is our responsibility as God-fearing and spiritual people to help lift one another up. We are to carry one another’s burdens not make the weight heavier or say they can handle it. I think sometimes we are so consumed with not wanting to get in someone’s business or letting  them figure it out on their own that we are letting people drown that need our help. People are reaching for us and we are waiting for them to sae themselves. We cannot just walk pass people that we know are in need and not help them, especially if we call ourselves Christians. I have seen too many people condemn others who are falling or have fallen into sin and done nothing to help them. It’s easy to talk about someone but how about we get down there with them and bring them out, or lend a hand to pick them up. The scripture says that we are to humbly and gently help them up. That means that we do not judge them or we do not blame them, because Jesus did not do that to us. We do not tell them they got themselves into the position they are in, we are to help them get back to where they were, to lead them back to Christ.

I talk about this subject in regards to sin because it is the one thing that I see people being condemned for the most. However, this is every area of our lives. When we truly love one another they way that God intends us to love we are constantly willing to put ourselves on the line for our brothers and sisters. We are not to put ourselves in danger or cause ourselves to be tempted but we are to take on  a selfless attitude, Share the burdens of our brothers and sisters because that’s what Jesus did for us. We never know how heavy it is for someone. We never know when they will crack or when too much is enough. Even Simon helped Jesus carry the cross to calvary.

All this to say, everybody needs somebody and we are that somebody. We are our brothers keeper and it is our job to lift one another up.

Reflection

1. Do you believe that you are your brother’s keeper?
2. Have you ever thought about the responsibility of caring for others, and taking on and sharing their burdens?

Prayer Time

Allow your answer to the above questions guide your prayer. Have a conversation with God about what we discussed today.

I love you and I hope you an amazing day or evening, be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 261!