Bear with One Another; Bearing One Another’s Burdensm Eph 4:2, Col 3:13; Gal 6:2
Part 6 of “One Anothering” by Pam Mertz
As a Christian coach, there are times when I “bear with my clients”. This can look different at different times, and this word “bear” means to take up with our hands, to carry. Now in coaching, we know we can’t take on the burdens of our clients, nor should we. However, I have come to a greater understanding of this command and how it plays out in a Christian Coaching session.
Taking on burdens of others in our lives was difficult for me early in my faith journey. I thought that I had to take on other’s responsibilities, especially in a dysfunctional family, to make sure people I love are safe. This came at a cost for me, and I surmised that was the way it was designed. I believed I was designed to serve others, and my dreams and needs were insignificant. Well, you can deduce that didn’t fare well long term, and my ability to even understand “self-care” was shadowed by the burdens I was carrying for so many others. I have walked through years of healing and restoration that have included truth around this concept as well.
Translating this into a healthy space of “carrying my own load” and not taking on burdens of others was life changing for me. It was clarified for me in Scripture through the Discipleship Group Course offered by Promised Land Living. Here I was able to see the practical way of differentiating burden and load and how to be a faithful “one another” to those in my life that would need my help from time to time.
I was to help others carry the weight of their own load to Jesus, not unto myself.
Now how does this translate into Christian coaching? Quite easily. Carrying something for our clients is a gift. We carry their agreement, and their desired outcomes, holding them for them for safe keeping, so they don’t forget or get distracted. We can also help them carry the burden of their vision. Their God-given vision that is to be too large for them to carry out on their own.
We can also ask them specific questions, like:
- “What do you want Jesus to carry for you right now?”
- “What might Jesus want you to hand over in this situation?”
- “What is yours to carry in this?”
What might you try in your coaching practice when it comes to “bearing another’s burdens” ?
Pamela Mertz, CPCC, PCC is passionate about Christian coaching and loves sharing how God continues to show her how impactful it is for the world! She works with many Christian coaches around the globe through her roles at Promised Land Living, Professional Christian Coaching Institute and CCNI as Board Secretary. For more information about Pamela you can visit her website at www.blueprintlife.com
