Love in Action: The Power of Bearing One Another’s Burdens

My Pastor said this in church yesterday "Love is powerful. Love in action is even more powerful."

In Mark 2:3-11, we see four friends who refused to let obstacles stand in the way of their paralyzed friend’s healing. The crowd was thick, the door was blocked, but love doesn’t stop at inconvenience. They climbed a roof, tore it open, and lowered him down before Jesus. Their faith—demonstrated through action—moved the heart of Jesus, and their friend was healed.

Contrast this with John 5:1-9, where a man had been paralyzed for 38 years, waiting by the pool of Bethesda. When Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed, his response was heartbreaking:

"Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me." (John 5:7)

For 38 years, he had no one. No helping hands, no friends lowering him through a roof, no one willing to bear his burden. Yet Jesus, full of love and power, spoke healing into his life.

These two stories show us something profound: love isn’t just about feeling; it’s about doing.

"Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2)

As couples, we often say “I love you.” And that’s good. But do we go beyond words? Do we actively seek out ways to lift each other’s burdens, just as Christ calls us to?

• Love is listening when your spouse is overwhelmed.

• Love is showing up when they are weary.

• Love is praying when they are too weak to pray.

• Love is supporting when they feel like they’re drowning.

• Love is taking action, even when it's inconvenient.

Love isn’t just butterflies in my tummy or a beautiful feeling; it’s a relentless force that climbs roofs, tears through barriers, and does whatever it takes to bring healing, wholeness, and restoration.

Marriage thrives when love is more than words—when it is demonstrated daily.

So today, ask yourself:

"How can I lower my spouse through the roof?"

"How can I bear their burden, not just in words, but in action?"

Because love that is acted upon is the love that transforms.

#LoveInAction #BeBetter #LoveBetter #DoBetter #MarriageWorks