When I was in my 20s, I was very much into lifting weights, spent three to four days a week in the gym lifting weights with friends. One of the most important rules of lifting weights is making sure you have spotter. In fact there is an unwritten rule in weight lifting that if you ask just about ask anyone in there working out to spot for you, they will.
The purpose of the spotter is really simple but yet important. A spotter is there to watch your form, help with the weight if you need it, and encourage you with a "you got this" or "or "you can do it".
In 1998 I did something incredibly stupid. It was leg day, which tended to be the day that my lifting buddies would lay out, and I was doing squats. Now, two important things to remember in doing squats are: one, form and two, have a spotter. Apparently my form was not good, I didn't have a spotter, and had too much weight. Add all that together and it equals disaster. As I was down in the squatting position, with the weight, I ruptured a disk in my lower back, fortunately a trainer was close and got the weight off of me and helped me out. It was too late for my back though and I had to have surgery to repair a ruptured disk. Lesson learned always have a spotter, someone to help you with the great weight on your shoulder....
2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Ga 6:2., NIV)
This is important: You and I need a spotter for life.
Burden means to carry a weight or load.
You and I can only carry so much weight, so much of a load for only so long. When we carry that weight for too long without help we begin to give out physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Unfortunately, we try to go through life without a "spotter".
When did it become wrong for us not to be able to share the weight of our shoulders with one another. I have shared before in a previous blog that we now feel like we have to lie to each other and say everything is fine, when in reality it is not. We are afraid to share with each other how we feel, the problems that we have, and the mistakes that we have made. We are afraid because people are people and we know instead of helping, instead of praying, and instead of caring we keep them at arms length because of what they may think or what they may even say. We are afraid that the whispers we hear might be about us.
Jesus doesn't want it that way. Jesus doesn't want His people that way. Jesus wants us to be able to sit down with our "spotter" and be real with them. What would it be like to actually tell someone, "no I'm not ok". What would it be like for a "spotter" to just listen, and then after listening for them to help take some of that weight, some of that burden off your shoulders.
What would it be like to be able to share your deepest sorrows, your deepest woes, your deepest regrets, your deepest secrets, your deepest guilt, and your greatest weight and not be judged or condemned by it.
Jesus tells us that we are to share those, because when you share a weight the burden is lighter.
Just like being in the gym, you need to keep an eye on the people around you. You know when someone is struggling, you can see when the weight is too much to bear, and you have the ability to be a spotter and help before the weight gets so great that they hurt themselves.
Can you give someone a spot before they crumble under the weight?
Chris
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