Unload

Heavy Laden

Do you ever feel like you are an old pack mule loaded down with a great burden? Maybe you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. What can be done about this cumbersome load? I’m sure that there are many strategies for dealing with chronic stress that can certainly be helpful for getting through difficult moments or seasons. But in this post I want to address some spiritual and biblical ways to unload our burden and enjoy rest and freedom in our Lord Jesus Christ!

Promises

It may sound like a cop out to say trust in the Lord, but that is what the Bible teaches (Proverbs 3:5). If we think that our burdens will be less heavy simply because we learn a coping technique, the problem is that we are still relying only on our own selves and not on the strength and power of God. Rather we need to remind ourselves about the many great precious promises of God in the Scripture. Then we must build our view of the world and reality based on the truth of those things that God has promised. 

God has promised us His presence. He has said that He will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5) and that He will remain with us to the end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20). The Lord has promised to not lose us (John 6:37-39). God also promised that He would publish the good news of the gospel to the world (Acts 13:32-39). The Lord Jesus promised to return for His disciples (John 14:1-3). And He promised us eternal life (1 John 2:24-25).

Of course, I cannot document every promise of God from scripture in this short blog, but I hope you can glean the point from this short list that the promises of God, if believed and relied upon, are sufficient for our seasons or struggle and hardship.

Partnership

Next, we must remember that we are not made for isolation. Humans are social creatures. We are made in the image of the triune God (Genesis 1:26-28). While God is able to enjoy perfect communion and love in His own being and essence, we are not! This means that we need other people. The Lord has made it so that we are born into families. Unfortunately, sin has damaged many families to the point that little fellowship or communion still exists. However, within the Christian faith the Lord has given us the precious gift of the local church. In the local church, we should find the kind of love and support that we need in our times of struggle. We are called to love one another in a way that requires deep investment but promises steadfast commitment and care (1 Peter 4:8-11). In Christ, we have been adopted into a family to which we now belong (Galatians 4:4-7). In Christ, we have received a household of faith with real responsibilities to our siblings (Galatians 6:10). In Christ, we have gained a connection with other believers through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us both (Galatians 5).

Prayer
One of the great ways that God has provided for us to be able to unload is to talk to Him. God let’s have access to His throne of grace and His heart of mercy and His ear of compassion (Hebrews 4:14-16). I know that all of us have benefitted from venting from time to time. God is ready to hear us not only come to ask for His intervention in our situations and circumstance but for us to come for the purpose of just emptying our soul out to Him (1 Peter 5:6-7).

Therefore, as believers we must not see our great God as just our safety net or last resort, but as our true confidant that we can go to with our greatest needs and struggles. And we should go to Him often to unload our great burden for the Lord Himself has promised us that His load is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30). Praise The Lord!

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