Carrying the Load

Then Jesus said, "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."

Matthew 11:28

Moving demands carrying heavy loads. My grown children offered to help in any way they could with our move. Yet, I am very independent. I had the time, and knew I could carry most of the burden. 

Each day, for about a week, I brought boxes to our townhouse and carried them up the stairs. By the end of the task, I felt like I had done real workouts! Often, I felt the boxes were a bit too heavy for me, but I persevered to get the job done. 

Looking back, I can really apply this to my spiritual walk. The word burden means "a heavy load to be borne - physically, emotionally, and spiritually." Even though this was a physical burden, we can see what Jesus was saying here about our burdens. We can let Jesus take care of all of our burdens, no matter the kind. 

I know Jesus works in my children and the fact that they offered to help. I believe they were doing as the Spirit was directing them. Instead, I was too independent to let them help me by not allowing them the blessing to serve. Jesus was offering me the rest I needed by prompting my children to help me. 

He does the same with church work and emotional distress. We often take on far too much out of guilt or just feeling we can do the job. Then we get burned out and weary by doing it. We can let the enemy play with our thoughts to make us feel emotionally drained by not allowing our thoughts to be on Jesus and what He can do. Instead we try to work out everything ourselves. 

Jesus is the rest. He is able to and will take care of everything. We simply need to let Him. He has given us His people (physical), His presence (emotional), and His purpose (spiritual), for whatever He asks us to do. We can take a lesson from Abram and just follow and trust our God even when we don't see what is ahead. 

Burdens wear us down, drain us, and make us less available for the work Jesus wants to accomplish in us. The next time I will try to get out of the way and let Him handle things I know He will do and it will be easier for me as I rest on Him.

Thank you, Jesus, for teaching me through the day to day things how to trust you more.

Sharon