I Don’t Have to Do this Alone

I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone. Numbers 11:17

In weightlifting, I’ve always found that I’m always stronger when I have a crowd cheering for me. Working out in my garage, on my own, is fine, but I just don’t have the strength alone that I have when others are encouraging me. So, when it comes to competition, I need those who’re on my side, cheering me on, if I want to do my best. I’m stronger with others than I am alone.

So it is in life. Going through some tough times personally lately, I’ve found that I’m far better off if I can share those burdens with my wife and some close friends. I’m far healthier emotionally for having others to lean on than if I had to bear that weight alone. Additionally, I make better choices when I’m living in community. In the times of stress, I occasionally do have dark, angry, resentful thoughts and knowing that I’d have to share those with others, helps me prune those thoughts from my mind. In isolation, my dark thoughts breed but in community, I recognize unhealthy patterns and address them appropriately. I can respond to life trials in a healthy or unhealthy manner and seeking out the comfort of close family and friends is a decidedly healthy way to deal with life’s trials.

You don’t need to do this alone. That’s the lesson of today’s passage, in which God commanded Moses to gather 70 leaders of Israel to help him bear the burden of leading his people. The Israelites repeatedly complained to Moses about their living conditions, and Moses felt crushed by the great weight of his people’s dissatisfaction. God didn’t want him to do it alone though, so he commanded Moses to surround himself with those who could help carry the responsibility of guiding his people.

In my addiction, I isolated as I didn’t want anyone to know of my struggle. My isolation was remarkably unhealthy, as I sunk further and further into self-destruction. Recovery then, has been the opposite. God didn’t create me to live in isolation, but rather to live in community. So, to take my life where God wants it to go, I’ve had to find others who desire to go in the same direction. Then, I’ve had to purposefully foster the kind of relationships where I can share my burdens with them, and they can share theirs with me. Thankfully, I don’t have to do this life alone.