Do We Help Carry the Cross?

Take a look at your life and those you interact with every day. Just like Simon of Cyrene was called upon to help Jesus carry His cross, have you ever reached out to help a vulnerable person?

The Book of Luke says:

“As they led him away, they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus.”

Luke 23:26

Jesus, on the way to Golgotha for crucifixion, was battered mercilessly as His strength got sipped out with every act of mistreatment. It became apparent that He wouldn't be able to carry His cross if left on His own. Simon of Cyrene, a bystander, was called upon to help, and he gladly obliged, helping Jesus bear His heavy cross.

Are You Ready to Help Others?

Would you, in the same way, be ready to help a stranger out of compassion? Would you wipe the tears of pain from a fellow human being while assuring them of a brighter day to come? Or, like the Roman soldiers, would you maybe look the other way as someone else suffers because it doesn't concern you?

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My friends and I often visit a nearby children's home (orphanage) to share our time and resources with the center's amazing kids. I help out by cleaning, singing, and dancing with the kids, sharing meals, and chatting heartily. What amazes me is that I always feel renewed, happier, and stronger by the end of each visit. I feel more faith in the amazing wonders and possibilities from God.   

Everyone Has Burdens

Without a doubt, everyone carries crosses in their lives. Some battle chronic diseases like cancer, some are trying to repair their marriages, some are burdened by debt, and others grieve the loss of a loved one. Some people's burdens are so great that they can't always stand on their own. As with Simon of Cyrene, God's divine nature puts you in people's lives at the right time so that you can help them carry their crosses for His glory.

Whenever you help other people, you are doing it for God, even if you don't immediately see the big picture. You may not understand how helping someone else benefits the greater good, but if you wholeheartedly obey God, trust that His plan is being fulfilled. 

Ways To Help

There are so many ways you can help others. You can share a meal with someone hungry, run errands for an elderly neighbor, visit a sick relative in the hospital, or pray for someone with a broken heart. You can also offer moral support to someone who just needs company. Whenever you encounter someone suffering from the weight of a cross, offer them a shoulder to cry on or stretch out your hand to them. With God's help, you'll pull them out of their pain.  

Each time you help ease someone's suffering, you demonstrate that this world is not just about you. On the journey of life, you never know when you might find yourself in a similar situation where you'll need God to give you people who will stand by you.

God Still Calls from the Crowd

Think of the people God has placed in your life. God still beckons you from the crowd to help Christ bear the cross. In any way you can, help someone to carry their cross, dry someone's tears, and give hope to someone else. In this way, you help create a new, Christian world full of God's love, compassion, and victory.