Bearing Burdens

There is a story about a lone man with a large, heavy back-pack walking along a country road. It was hot and humid and the road was rocky and steep.

He walked slower and slower and finally came to the place where he could go no further. So he took off the pack and sat on a rock, and said, " I am ready to die."

At that moment the Death Angel sat down beside him and said, "You called for me?"

The man took one look at the Angel and said, "Yes, would you help me get this back-pack off my back?"

We all have burdens we carry, whether we like it or not. Gladis gave a talk to the ladies and her topic was: Everybody Has Something.

However, we seem to think that the very rich have no burdens. Some seem never to have a problem or a burden, but they do. There are burdens money can't fix.

• There are the burdens we own.
• There are the burdens of others.
• There are the burdens people would put on us that aren't ours to bear.

In Galatians 6:2 the Lord says, "Every one should bear his own burden." We can live with that pretty well. However, since the beginning there have been those who lay burdens on us.

In Matthew 23: 1-4, Jesus tells us that "... they tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move with so much as a finger..."There are a great deal of people out there who are experts in manipulating people to give.

Jesus came down in human flesh, with no burden, and said, "Come unto me all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." he came to take upon himself our burden of sin and guilt, and he paid with his life, and shed his blood to free us from the burdens we carry that others have put on us.

Just because we are Christians, we don't have to give to every poor man that comes begging, we don't have to give help to every sick person. We don't have to volunteer to take every burden that comes our way. We don't have to say "yes" to every one who asks. It's OK to say "no."

Jesus came to set us free.

He said, "Take my burden, my burden is light." We don't have to be burdened with the burdens that aren't ours to carry. We can exchange our our own heavy burdens for his light burden.

What is the Lord's burden? That every person will get to hear the Gospel. You can help bear that burden by prayer. You can pray for others. You can help bear the Lord's burden by using the gift that He has given you, whatever that might be ... hospitality, friendship, encouraging others, doing what you're happy doing, and you can have the blessing of the Lord while doing it.

Message by: Bill Gibson
Palisades 8/24/06
Photo: Roy McDonald