Sunday’s sermon on our emotional toolbox really focused on the importance of setting a good example for others. We have the opportunity to shape “younger” Christians by our actions, whether that be children in our own family or even new Christians in a church family.

Likewise, it is also worth considering our own skillset we inherited from our upbringing. Mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, a neighbor, or an older sibling certainly shaped us. We picked up on behaviors and actions and incorporated them into our personal life. If someone lacked the influence of close family during youth, chances are they will “pick up” and follow the example set forth by TV shows, music, celebrities, schoolmates, local leaders, and so on.

I briefly touched on how our “toolboxes” are frequently missing items or are outright broken. Here are just a few examples of severely broken upbringings and fortunate outcomes…

A missionary to Ukraine once shared a story with me about how he ministered to a young boy who had witnessed his mother kill his abusive father. The mother abandoned the boy afterwards. The boy was incredibly traumatized by what had happened and ran away to live inside a sewer. The missionary was able to bring the young boy to a shelter and receive much-needed counseling and healthcare.

A young man in the prison ministry I help out with shared that his “toolbox” for fatherhood was incredibly broken. Growing up, his father would come home from work, drink an entire pack of beer, and make the young boy and his brother fist fight for his entertainment until one of them passed out unconscious. Fortunately, this young man saw how his upbringing scarred him, and eagerly sought the healing of God.

Another young man in the prison ministry was raised by a white supremacist cult in rural Arkansas. They claimed to be Christian, but in addition to intense racism were also extensively involved in trafficking drugs and guns. He even had a relative who was imprisoned for murdering a hispanic man. “I feel like my mind is so messed up,” he told me one, “Everything I do, I keep thinking about the past and how my family was so hateful. I don’t know what to do.” Fortunately, this young man was actively involved in the program and realized he needed to overcome the continual hate and violence he experienced as a child.

I share these stories to emphasize this simple truth of faith: If you are broken, you need to look to Christ for the fix. Jesus provides a way to overcome victimhood and claim your identity in God’s kingdom. Terrible pasts can certainly weigh on us. But Jesus offers a way out. As the graphic above notes from Hebrews, we need to have our eyes fixed on Jesus.

It doesn’t matter what you past consisted of. If you had a horrendous childhood, Jesus offers you healing right now. If a parent or relative has ever abused you, Jesus offers you comfort right now. If anyone has ever let you down in your past and it negatively affected your future, Jesus offers you hope right now.

Jesus can fix you, regardless of how broken you feel, whatever you struggle with, or even your past. Our “toolboxes” may be broken or lacking in certain areas, but Jesus offers the incredible opportunity to be repaired, mended, and made whole.

At first glance, it sounds like Paul contradicts himself in Galatians 6. At the beginning of the chapter, he clearly states to bear the burdens of other people. Yet only a few verses later, he insists that everyone should carry their own load. So which is it? Do we help others? Or should we insist everyone take responsibility themselves?

Many people get confused about these two ideas. Some argue we should help others regardless of the circumstances. Some become closed off and argue that everyone should pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.

If you ask me, I don’t think there is any sort of contradiction. Paul uses two completely different words in these commandments. Both commandments are important to the Christian faith. First, Paul speaks of burdens, and secondly brings up the topic of loads. There must be something different between the two! Here are some thoughts from my own personal study and interpretation.

Everyone has a load. It is usually something we are born with, such as a certain personality type, temperament, or even one’s health. A “load” signifies something deeply personal about someone. I would even argue that our personal actions are part of our load. If I reject God by how I live (showing hatred to others, indulging in sin, giving into temptation, etc.), then that will lead me to an extremely dark place. Nobody can be me. I cannot be other people. I have my own responsibilities. I have my own personal load.

A burden, on the other hand, is often some kind of tribulation that someone is experiencing. It is less “permanent” than a load. You often hear people going through a difficult time speak of how they feel “burdened.” If a close friend has died, then you will obviously feel very burdened. If you have a stressful week at work or school, then you will likely feel emotionally drained or stressed. Burdens can be shared among people, with others potentially offering assistance.

Here lies the important point Paul is trying to make. Burdens are not loads. We should remember the difference because we frequently confuse the two. We are to assist with other people if they are bearing a burden. Nobody ought to be alone. If we find ourselves able to help someone else, we ought to show sympathy and compassion for whatever their pain might be. It doesn’t matter whether that is a church event or family crisis… We are to bear one another’s burdens!

But someone else’s load, on the other hand, is something that is outside of our personal control. I cannot change your heart—which is part of the “load” you personally carry. I cannot adjust your temperament. I cannot heal what ails you deeply. I can not take upon your sin and brokenness. I cannot fix whatever is in the realm of your “load.”

To paraphrase Paul in Galatians 6, I would say:

Help other people out when they’re going through challenging times.

But remember everyone is ultimately responsible for their own relationship with God.

We can do a wonderful job of providing assistance when someone seeks our help. We can help alleviate the stress, give a word of encouragement, or show love when they are facing a dark valley. Yet absolutely none of us can force anyone to change their own heart. We cannot adjust their load. We cannot take control of their destiny with God. That is for the other person to “carry” themselves. Hopefully, they will choose Christ and lead a live of discipleship.

The good news is that God is the only one capable of handling our loads. God is willing to change us if we are willing and respond to God’s grace. God can change who you are.

Be mindful of this truth as you seek to love and serve your neighbor. Carry burdens. That’s a core commandment of scripture. But leave the loads up to God!

Yesterday’s sermon on the three magi has quite a few fascinating details. They of course teach us about the true nature of worship, or bowing down in reverence towards God. There’s also a fiasco with king Herod. The magi return another way after being warned in a dream of Herod’s plot. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus also have to flee Bethlehem as refugees, traveling to Egypt for safety, too.

One major part of this story has to do with the implicit details surrounding the magi themselves. We don’t find out much about their background in scripture. We have to fill in the gaps through our own deduction and study, and a lot of information is up in the air. As I mentioned yesterday, church tradition is all over the place in regards to where they actually came from or who they were. Some argue they were astrologers, studying star movements in the night sky. Others believe they were philosophers of sorts—literal “wise” people studying spirituality! Some posit that they were literal kings and came from regions such as modern day Saudi Arabia, Iran, or even as far as India.

Despite historical uncertainty, I think we are safe to assume that these folks had minimal exposure to Judaism. They were outsiders who followed some miraculous sign in the night sky for many miles for this long journey. I would argue the probably had little familiarity with the messianic prophecies of Isaiah, too! So if you ask me, it is absolutely incredible that they “discovered” the wonderful truth of Jesus Christ. They can serve as a reminder for us today that God’s revelation is quite literally all around us.

Sometimes well-intentioned Christians struggle with limiting God to a church service on Sunday. As a pastor, of course I believe attending church is important. But faith should never be limited to one hour out of the week, or even restricted to a particular building. If we truly take the story of the magi seriously, then we must recognize that God reveals Godself throughout all creation. Dreams might point someone to Christ. A sunset can trigger a sense of awe towards the creator. Witnessing a child being born can spur someone to deeper spiritual understanding. God can use a lot of things to bring about change in our hearts.

I recall a story from a missionary I heard speak in college. He was traveling in rural India near the border with Pakistan. Their motorbike had broken down and were in need of help. As they were pushing the bike towards the next village, they met a man running towards them, who immediately offered to fix the bike and give them a place to stay. They came to find out the man had a dream the night before where a voice told him he would receive a couple of visitors pushing a broken down motorbike. The voice told the man to listen to what the visitors had to say. Many in the village became Christians during the missionary’s stay. These people had absolutely no exposure to a bible or a church, yet experienced the great love of God, all because of a seemingly random dream.

There’s another touching story I heard from another missionary visiting an isolated group of people. After learning the language and culture for several months, he felt comfortable discussing matters of faith with those he was serving. Some of the elders taught him about their religious practices and customs, talking about how they believed in the “God of Light.” This God of Light was incredibly powerful. Light sought to rescue people from death and darkness. He offered spiritual protection and guidance. He would lead his followers to be more loving to their neighbors. The missionary came to find out that he didn’t actually have to “bring” God to the remote tribe… Christ was already there! They only knew him by a different name.

I also recall reading testimonies from Richard Twiss, an evangelist from the Lakota Tribe in South Dakota. In his work with fellow indigenous peoples, he was able to relate the message of the gospel to Native American lore. Teachings about the “Great Spirit” or “Great Mystery” sound remarkably similar to God—a being that is all-powerful, all-knowing, and forever loving. If you ask me, I would say that someone like Twiss realized that God can reveal truth to all peoples, regardless of language, location, or time period.

And finally, you might remember a story I’ve used a couple of times about Helen Keller and her devoted teacher, Anne Sullivan. When young Helen inquired about matters of faith and was taught by Anne and a minister about who God was, her response was, ”I always knew He was there, but I didn’t know His name!”

The three magi teach us that God is on the move all over the world. God is not limited to Christian radio, Sunday morning worship services, or reading a devotional book. Sure, we can experience God’s presence through those things, but we should never limit the movement of the Holy Spirit. God can meet us wherever we are. Our job as Christians is to help other people notice that divine revelation.