Here's a lesson in stress management. Take a cup and fill it with some
water. How much water you put in is up to you. Now hold it out in front of you
and guess how heavy the cup of water is. Your answer will probably range from a
few ounces to a pound. Some will say how heavy it is depends on the weight of
the cup, while others will say it depends on the amount of the water in the
cup.
But the heaviness of your cup of water does not depend on its weight
alone, but on how long you hold it. If you hold your cup in front of you for a
minute, it will seem light. If you hold it out there for one hour (if you
actually can hold it that long) you will probably have an aching arm. But if
you try to hold your cup in that same hand for an entire day and never put it
down, you may need someone call you an ambulance. The weight of your cup never
changes, but the longer you hold it, the heavier it seems.
If we attempt to carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later we will
not be able to do so, because we will weaken and they will weigh us down. In
order to carry our burdens, we must rest for awhile before picking them up
again. Putting down our burdens periodically will refresh us so we are able to
carry on.
Jesus had this in mind when He said, "Come to me, all you who are
burdened and weary, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) Jesus
will help us carry our burdens if we have faith to let Him. We can give them to
Him in prayer, day or night, for a short time or for a lifetime. Many of our
burdens will not go away, but they will be easier to bear when we let Him help
us.
Before returning home from work tonight, put that burden down. Don't carry
it back home with you. You can pick it up tomorrow. If you have the burden of
poor health, or meager finances, or a struggling relationship or any kind of
unrest in your soul, give that burden to Jesus. He will make it lighter by
helping you carry it.
Whatever burdens you have that now weigh heavily, put them into the hands
of our Lord and Savior. When you have rested, then you can pick them up and
carry them again. You will find their weight is lighter. You may even find some
of them are gone entirely.
Life is short. Don't let your worries weigh you down without the Savior's
help!
"Cast all your cares on Him, because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)
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