Scripture
“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.”
~Matthew 11:28-29, NLT
Quote
Jesus desires to heal you of issues that discourage you and give you true rest for your soul.
~Charles Stanley {Everyday in His Presence, p.112}
Burdens, like ice on the wings of a jet, have a tendency to grow and become heavier. Psalm 55:22 reads in the RSV, “Cast your burden {or what He has given you} on the Lord.” Does the LORD give us burdens? I love what Paul had to say in Galatians 6, Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. We are called to care for those around us and to share in their suffering but you and I can become weary from bearing these heavy burdens and that is when we are invited to cast them on the LORD. This sounds a bit selfish but the truth is: Jesus can bear them and we cannot. We cannot carry the world on our shoulder; the weight will crush us. Furthermore, we should never assume the responsibility of being God. Jesus can be God because He is God but you and I are not divine–we are human.
Do you need encouragement today even though you received it yesterday? Do you need grace for today even though you were given grace yesterday? Of course you do: we need constant inspiration and reassurance and there is no sin in seeking this encouragement. God wants you to seek HIM. He created you to need HIM. Most people are not looking to add to their burdens; they are looking for relief from the burdens they are already bearing. Christian counselors are in high demand for this very reason. People do not want to hear your life story; they do not want to know your problems because they have problems of their own. This is where Jesus is a life saver: He will listen. You can unburdened yourself with Jesus. A Bill Gaither song comes to mind…
Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press,
And the cares distress,
And the way grows weary and long?
Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief
There is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long
O yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary,
The long night dreary,
I know my Savior cares.
Trust me friend; when no one else cares–Jesus cares!
Extra
Last Monday at the Pastor’s Prayer Meeting I said to one of my pastor friends: “Man, I need some free counseling and I have narrowed it down to you are Bro. Ken.” He said without hesitation, “Talk to Ken first!” I had no idea this blog was coming up. The man is a good man and a great pastor but like most pastors, his wagon is loaded. He not excited about taking on more baggage. I thought it was a bit ironic that this happened just before I wrote the blog above. Speaking of irony–I must confess, I am a horrible counselor. It is part of being a pastor: you can’t tell folks…“Look, I have problems of my own and I don’t want to hear yours.” That would be cruel and heartless. Ninety percent of counseling is listening, but I am a horrible listener. I listen for a while and then I interrupt and tell them how to fix the problem. Of course, they don’t want a fix, they want sympathy and approval. O.B. ONE told me years ago: “Preacher, they don’t want your advice; they want your approval.” He was exactly right.
I slept through it but evidently we got a big rain last night. I was hoping to cut the ditches before Easter but it is going to be difficult. Not only are they too wet to use a riding mower, they are too wet to walk in. Cooled off a little but no problem–feels good. I love the April green in the new leaves; it is a beautiful time of year. Have a great day and thanks for reading the blog.