Tuesday, December 16 Each one will carry his own load.​—Gal. 6:5.

[Áine]

Tuesday, December 16

Each one will carry his own load.—Gal. 6:5.

 

Each Christian must decide how to care for his own health. Only a few specific Bible laws, such as the commands to abstain from blood and from spiritism, affect a Christian’s choice of medical treatment. (Acts 15:20; Gal. 5:19, 20) Other areas are matters of personal preference. No matter how strongly we feel about a form of treatment, we need to respect the right of our brothers and sisters to make their own health-care decisions. In this regard, we should keep the following points in mind: (1) Only God’s Kingdom will bring complete and permanent healing. (Isa. 33:24) (2) Each Christian must be “fully convinced” of what is best for him. (Rom. 14:5) (3) We do not judge others or put a stumbling block before them. (Rom. 14:13) (4) Christians show love and do not put their freedom to make personal choices ahead of the unity of the congregation.—Rom. 14:15, 19, 20. w23.07 24 ¶15

[Dustparticle]

6 minutes ago, Áine said:

Each Christian must be “fully convinced” of what is best for him. (Rom. 14:5) (3) We do not judge others or put a stumbling block before them. (Rom. 14:13) (4) Christians show love and do not put their freedom to make personal choices ahead of the unity of the congregation.—Rom. 14:15, 19, 20. w23.07 24 ¶15

 

 Before she died, a sister was taking pot legally for her cancer treatment. I was planning to do some for my pain, but I did not. Thank God I did some research on this before I reject it. We must be very careful what we do and do not judge others what they do if questionable, why? Because we do not know the whole story.

[dljbsp]

At times, a Christian may be asked to speak on behalf of another believer who is temporarily unable to do so, such as in a medical emergency. Galatians 6:5 reminds us: “Each one will carry his own load.” In those moments, our role is not to impose our personal convictions but to represent, as accurately and loyally as possible, the decision that individual has already made before Jehovah.

 

At the same time, this arrangement calls for thoughtful self-examination. While we may be supporting another person’s conscience, we must also remain alert to the effect such responsibility may have on our own conscience. Jehovah does not require one servant to silence or violate his personal convictions in order to assist another. Romans 14:5 shows that each Christian must be “fully convinced in his own mind,” and that principle applies to both the one making the decision and the one supporting it.

 

Therefore, if a Christian concludes that serving as another’s voice would place an undue burden on his conscience, he may respectfully decline that responsibility. Doing so is not a rejection of the other person’s choice, but a recognition of personal accountability before Jehovah. When each servant understands both roles clearly—supporting others where possible and acknowledging personal limits where necessary—peace is preserved, consciences remain clean, and each one truly carries his own load.

[Vincent Callahan]

When I read that, 'each one will carry his own load' I think about what we refer to as our, liberty in Christ. And I think its important we be strong in our own convictions but not to the point that we mandate things for others that are matters of personal preference for ourselves. 

[Jones Nogueira]

 

Each brother has the right to decide which treatment to accept, and we need to respect that, regardless of whether we agree or not.

 

Comment: Personal responsibility before Jehovah is an essential principle of true worship. In matters such as medical treatments, each Christian needs to make decisions based on their Bible-trained conscience, respecting biblical principles. Galatians 6:5 reminds us that we will all render an account to God for our choices, reinforcing the importance of well-informed and respectful decisions.

 

Practical Lesson: By respecting the medical decisions of fellow believers, we show love and promote peace in the congregation. Avoiding judgment, maintaining unity, and valuing individual conscience reflects Christian maturity. We must remember that only the Kingdom will bring complete healing, and in the meantime, each one needs to act with faith and responsibility before Jehovah.

Edited 11 hours ago by Jones Nogueira