“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Mat 11:28)
We don’t have to live downtrodden; carrying such heavy loads. We have help from our Lord, Jesus! Last time I gave you 4 keys to lightening your load. Here are…
6 More Keys in Getting Relief from Our Burdens
Key #5 Remain in the Yoke
As mentioned last week, we have a tendency to take back control. Sometimes we may not realize that we’ve reverted back to doing life our way. Thankfully, God will let you know, in some way, when you’re not walking rightly. Once you are aware of your straying, just confess and resubmit—as often as necessary. We have an incredibly patient and forgiving Teacher residing inside each of us believers.
Key # 6 Address Each Burden Individually
The reason we often don’t have success in releasing our burdens is because we’re just dumping the whole backpack. But the solution for each burden is different. Some can be eliminated, while others we are to bear. We’ll “unpack” this next time.
Key #7 Do your Part
For the burdens we must carry, God will enable us—if we let Him; if we cooperate and not fight against Him. His grace will be sufficient—like Paul’s thorn in the flesh (2 Cor 12:7-10 ).
Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. (Is 46:4)
We are to do our part in carrying the load. God will show us what that looks like in each case. But there are times when the Lord carries us completely—burdens and all! (Like the time my husband was in hospice.)
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:9)
Key #8 Share Your Burdens
We are not to do life alone. We need each other.
Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. (Gal 6:2 NLT)
God will often send people to relieve our burdens—especially if we ask Him. When Moses complained, “I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me” (Num 11:14), God responded with…
I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them [70 elders]. They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone. (Num 11:17)
Jesus is our example here as well. He asked others to pray for Him. He received help from others for His daily needs of food and shelter. It takes humility to ask for help. Imagine the second Person of the Godhead asking mere humans for help! If the God-Man asked for assistance, surely, we too can admit our need.
Key #9 Balance
If we’re going to be able to continue bearing life’s hardships, especially those ongoing ones, we need balance. It’s essential that we eat right and exercise, get enough rest and relaxation, and have periods of reprieve. We need to take that heavy backpack off at times so we can be refreshed. Burn-out is sure to happen otherwise.
Key #10 Be Grateful
Our load is often too heavy because we are focusing on what’s in our pack instead of God and our eternal future with Him. An attitude of gratitude greatly lightens that heaviness.
If you’re having a hard time praising God with the weight He is having you carry, immerse yourself in God’s Word. Count your blessings—name them one by one and remind yourself of what God has done—and will do.
So until next time my friends when we’ll specifically address those items in your backpack…
Give praise to your Lord God and Savior, who daily bears your burdens (Ps 68:19). He will lift your heavy spirit!
Blogs in this series:
Ahhhhhhhhh! Getting Relief from Our Burdens
Ahhhhhhhhh! Getting Relief from Our Burdens—10 Keys: Part 1
(NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
All other Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible: New International Version®. NIV. ® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.