I Dare You

There is only one way
that I have discovered that
you can really rejoice with them that do rejoice
and to weep with them that weep.

It is to make their burdens your burdens,
and their expectations your expectations.
It is to take their cares and concerns to
The Lord with significant frequency.

It is not enough to pray once and then to be done with it.
To really carry one another's burdens you must remember
what they are, write them down if necessary, and pray over
them often. There must be significant frequency and fervency.

If there is another way
to bear one another's burdens,
to weep and rejoice with others,
I know nothing of it. I couldn't say.

Dare I say I have perfected this? Certainly not.
But this one thing I do, forgetting the things of SELF,
I must decrease, I press toward this mark of being
deeply concerned for others.

Dare I say the love of Christ constraineth me if I am not
in this way so constrained toward others? I dare not!
But I do dare you to be thus constrained towards
others. It'll change your Christian life!!

He must increase!! Do it! I dare you.

He must increase in our hearts
and in our concern for others while
we decrease in the estimation
of our own importance.

He must increase,
WE must all decrease!!

Do it! I dare you.