April 8th, 2026
The Upward Look, by Jon Forrest
The Peril of No Burden
Shortly after coming to Christ, Sadhu Sundar, a Hindu convert to Christ, felt called to become a missionary to India. Late one afternoon Sadhu was traveling on foot through the Himalayas with a Buddhist monk. It was bitterly cold and the wind felt like sharp blades slicing into Sadhu's skin. Night was approaching fast when the monk warned Sadhu that they were in danger of freezing to death if they did not reach the monastery before darkness fell.
Just as they were traversing a narrow path above a steep cliff, they heard a cry for help. Down the cliff lay a man, fallen and badly hurt. The monk looked at Sadhu and said, "Do not stop. God has brought this man to his fate. He must work it out for himself." Then he quickly added while walking on, "Let us hurry on before we, too, perish."
But Sadhu replied, "God has sent me here to help my brother. I cannot abandon him."
The monk continued trudging off through the whirling snow, while the missionary clambered down the steep embankment. The man's leg was broken and he could not walk. So Sadhu took his blanket and made a sling of it and tied the man on his back. Then, bending under his burden, he began a body-torturing climb. By the time he reached the narrow path again, he was drenched in perspiration.
Doggedly, he made his way through the deepening snow and darkness. It was all he could do to follow the path. But he persevered, though faint with fatigue and overheated from exertion. Finally he saw ahead the lights of the monastery.
Then, for the first time Sadhu stumbled and nearly fell, but not from weakness. He had stumbled over an object lying in the snow-covered road. Slowly he bent down on one knee and brushed the snow off the object. It was the body of the monk, frozen to death.
Years later a disciple of Sadhu's asked him, "What is life's most difficult task?"
Without hesitation Sadhu replied: "To have no burden to carry."
(Copied)
Modern America culture has pressed us to believe that the best life is one with no needs, no pain and no burdens. When we see someone in pain we may want to help, but culture says, “Mind your own business! You will just take on someone else’s problem and make yours harder. They will just drag you down.”
Do we understand that the heat generated by carrying the injured man saved the life of the missionary, while the monk froze to death because he had nothing to keep him warm? We not only survive, but we thrive by the warmth generated by helping others through life.
Galatians 6:2 tells us to bear one another’s burdens and fulfill the law of Christ. This is related to verse 1 which tells us it is our job, as Spirit led people to help those caught in sin to be gently restored, all the while examining ourselves for issues that could cause us to stumble along the way. It is inconvenient and even frightening to help someone we know and love to turn back to God. However, if we love that person, just as Christ loved them and us, we will do what we can to restore that person to fellowship with God and his church. It is not for us to condemn, but to restore them.
However, if we fail to pick our brother of sister up and carry them back to God, we stand on the precipice of freezing spiritually. If you will take on the burden of the friend and his/her sin, it won’t be easy, but it will bring a blessing that lasts into eternity.
Sunday we will share a message with two titles, No More Lone Ranger Christians and Bearing One Another’s Burdens from Galatians 6:1-2. My prayer is that you and I will be inspired to experience the fellowship of carrying one another’s spiritual load. The result will be a much closer walk with each other and with God.
Lifted and Lifting,
Jon
The Peril of No Burden
Shortly after coming to Christ, Sadhu Sundar, a Hindu convert to Christ, felt called to become a missionary to India. Late one afternoon Sadhu was traveling on foot through the Himalayas with a Buddhist monk. It was bitterly cold and the wind felt like sharp blades slicing into Sadhu's skin. Night was approaching fast when the monk warned Sadhu that they were in danger of freezing to death if they did not reach the monastery before darkness fell.
Just as they were traversing a narrow path above a steep cliff, they heard a cry for help. Down the cliff lay a man, fallen and badly hurt. The monk looked at Sadhu and said, "Do not stop. God has brought this man to his fate. He must work it out for himself." Then he quickly added while walking on, "Let us hurry on before we, too, perish."
But Sadhu replied, "God has sent me here to help my brother. I cannot abandon him."
The monk continued trudging off through the whirling snow, while the missionary clambered down the steep embankment. The man's leg was broken and he could not walk. So Sadhu took his blanket and made a sling of it and tied the man on his back. Then, bending under his burden, he began a body-torturing climb. By the time he reached the narrow path again, he was drenched in perspiration.
Doggedly, he made his way through the deepening snow and darkness. It was all he could do to follow the path. But he persevered, though faint with fatigue and overheated from exertion. Finally he saw ahead the lights of the monastery.
Then, for the first time Sadhu stumbled and nearly fell, but not from weakness. He had stumbled over an object lying in the snow-covered road. Slowly he bent down on one knee and brushed the snow off the object. It was the body of the monk, frozen to death.
Years later a disciple of Sadhu's asked him, "What is life's most difficult task?"
Without hesitation Sadhu replied: "To have no burden to carry."
(Copied)
Modern America culture has pressed us to believe that the best life is one with no needs, no pain and no burdens. When we see someone in pain we may want to help, but culture says, “Mind your own business! You will just take on someone else’s problem and make yours harder. They will just drag you down.”
Do we understand that the heat generated by carrying the injured man saved the life of the missionary, while the monk froze to death because he had nothing to keep him warm? We not only survive, but we thrive by the warmth generated by helping others through life.
Galatians 6:2 tells us to bear one another’s burdens and fulfill the law of Christ. This is related to verse 1 which tells us it is our job, as Spirit led people to help those caught in sin to be gently restored, all the while examining ourselves for issues that could cause us to stumble along the way. It is inconvenient and even frightening to help someone we know and love to turn back to God. However, if we love that person, just as Christ loved them and us, we will do what we can to restore that person to fellowship with God and his church. It is not for us to condemn, but to restore them.
However, if we fail to pick our brother of sister up and carry them back to God, we stand on the precipice of freezing spiritually. If you will take on the burden of the friend and his/her sin, it won’t be easy, but it will bring a blessing that lasts into eternity.
Sunday we will share a message with two titles, No More Lone Ranger Christians and Bearing One Another’s Burdens from Galatians 6:1-2. My prayer is that you and I will be inspired to experience the fellowship of carrying one another’s spiritual load. The result will be a much closer walk with each other and with God.
Lifted and Lifting,
Jon
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