June 22, 2022

The Almost Daily will be on Summer Vacation until August 8th. But fear not! You will receive a devotional each Monday through Friday from the excellent Mockingbird Devotional entitled Daily Grace. Enjoy! - Paul Walker

My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:1-2)

The late, great Warren Zevon wrote the 1976 rocker “Poor Poor Pitiful Me.” He wrote it ironically, and in it, he “complained” about an excess of female attention. His version (not Linda’s!) is well worth a listen.

The temptation to self-pity is a strong one. One’s pain is one’s pain, and it is real, obviously. When people come to see me and try to shuffle off their struggle as illegitimate because others have it worse, I always attempt to validate whatever it is that brought them in to see me. Just counting one’s blessings at the expense of expressing one’s pain never works in the long run. So-called comparative suffering is no real help. You need more.

There is a counterpunch to this, though. It can be helpful, when lost in one’s own pity party, to be reminded that no one person has the corner on pain. The adage “misery loves company” can be interpreted in two ways. Yes, it’s good to know that we are not the only ones who suffer. But it is also helpful to be comforted by another’s company. Perhaps this is why the Apostle Paul says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Ultimately, Christ became miserable for our sake, suffering for our sins. He has carried the final burden.

Lord Christ, you went to the cross to bear my burden. I ask you, even now, to take that burden anew and give me your peace that passes understanding. Amen.

[Paul Walker, Daily Grace - Mockingbird Devotional Vol. 2]