How to lighten your load today

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

-Jesus, Matthew 11:28-30

If you feel like you have burdens as heavy as a house upon you, this post is for you. If the weight of your concerns has accumulated to a point where it seems unbearable, here is hope.

One of the things that draws us to Jesus is his sympathy for those stooped over with burdens. In a sense, this is why He came to this world, to carry those burdens for us. The story of Christ’s cross is Jesus taking the crushing weight of sin and its penalty in our place, as our substitute (1 Peter 2:24).

It literally killed Him.

And if that weren’t enough, Jesus remains passionate about relieving us of our everyday burdens. He is not okay with us just trudging along with the weight of the world on top of us. He proposes a better way, an easier way.

Let’s take a look. Based on Matthew 11: 28-30, here are three steps to de-burden, the Jesus way:

1. Through a simple prayer, approach Him. Go ahead, it’s okay. His invitation to “Come…” is open to all who are tired and burdened. Is that you? Does it describe you? Many of us would say, “Yes, that’s me. I am tired and burdened.” If so, take Jesus up on His invitation. Go to Him. Tell Him you’re tired. Ask Him for help. He will not turn you away. Stay as long as you need to stay. This is how the de-burdening begins.
2. Take the yoke He offers. When Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you…” He was simply offering a relationship, a personal connection with Himself. That’s what a yoke does. It is the linkage that connects two individuals and makes them one. Notice, it is a yoke he offers – not a shackle. There’s a big difference. Jesus was simply saying, “Hey, you don’t have to do this alone. Let me do the heavy lifting.”
3. Learn more about Him. Now that you’re in a relationship with Jesus, get to know Him better. You may have thought you already knew Him, but actually it will take you a lifetime to discover how wonderful He is. And the more you get to know Him, the more you’ll trust Him. And the more you trust Him, the lighter your burdens will become.

That’s how to de-burden, the Jesus way.

In closing, here’s a question: What would you do if you saw someone in the grocery store parking lot trying to carry several heavy bags at once and struggling? You would probably offer assistance, wouldn’t you?

In the same way, the Lord sees you struggling and He’s offering help.

Here’s to a lighter load.

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.