Circumstances, hereditary qualities, and how you deal with being you are all examples of load. A burden is something that happens to you for a short period of time, such as a disease, a broken bone, or winning the jackpot.
Before You Continue...
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How do you gain spiritual strength?
Seven Ways to Boost Your Spiritual Well-Being
- Examine your spiritual foundation. You are merely asking yourself questions about who you are and what you mean when you explore your spiritual essence.
What does the Bible say about bearing with one another?
As a prisoner for the Lord, I implore you to walk in a manner befitting the vocation to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, patient, bearing with one another in love, and anxious to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
What burdens do we carry?
A mentor once said to me, “Each of us is going through a trial, has just come out of one, or is about to go through another.”
It's a wording that sounds a lot like another oft-quoted truth, “Be kind to everyone you come into contact with. You never know what kind of conflict they're in.”
This sentence contains some truth. However, it is amplified during the holiday season, when loss of any type is emphasized.
But I'd want to take a somewhat different approach to this discussion. Why would we choose to purposely bear extra weight and strain in our lives when we already have so much?
Consider how much death, loss, disease, stress, politics, financial troubles, sadness, guilt, marital tension, and traumatic events weigh on our hearts and lives. Each of us has a burden on our shoulders.
Many of these burdens are unavoidable and completely beyond our control. Regardless matter where they came from, we all carry them on a daily basis.
It's no surprise that when youngsters were questioned in a recent study, they said, “What would you want for if you could have one wish for your parents?” The children's top wish was for their parents to be less exhausted and anxious.
Life isn't always easy. It was never promised to be, and it never will be. Not only do we bear the weight of our own struggles in our new society defined by rapid social sharing, but we also carry the weight of others.
On the other side of the country, a friend of mine was transported to the hospital on Thanksgiving evening. I was almost immediately notified about it via SMS and social media. On the other side of the country, there was a tragedy involving a family that was not my own. Nonetheless, there remained a sadness… a weight… about our home.
However, it appears to me that many of us choose to do just that by having too many belongings in our homes and lives.
Randy Alcorn may have expressed it best: “Every new possession brings more anxiety into our life.”
Excessive belongings take up residence in our homes and minds. They necessitate care, upkeep, and attention. Every item we own must be handled and eventually eliminated, whether we do it alone or with the help of a loved one. They instill a sense of commitment, responsibility, and weight.
Clutter is one of the factors that contributes to our stress levels. For example, 1) UCLA researchers discovered a link between high stress hormone levels and a high density of household objects; 2) Princeton scientists discovered that a cluttered environment limits our ability to focus; and 3) Psychology Today backed up these studies in March 2012, citing eight specific reasons why clutter contributes to higher stress levels in our bodies.
Why would we choose to purposely bear extra weight and strain in our lives when we already have so much?
Let go of the things you can't control in your life. You will gain more freedom and capacity to navigate the hardships and pressures that exist outside of it as a result of doing so.
Where in the Bible does it say to carry each other's burdens?
Carry each other's burdens, and you will be fulfilling Christ's law Galations 6:2 NIV.
Jesus encourages us to share our troubles with one another. But what exactly does it entail? Suffering is a part of our human experience in some form or another. We shall fulfill Jesus' law by bearing each other's hardships, he remarked. Does this imply that we're expected to solve everyone else's issues? To put our own lives on hold in order to help those in need?
How do I cast my burdens on God?
Are you fed up with dealing with the same issues over and over? Is it starting to bother you to the point that it's weighing you down? According to 1 Peter 5:7, “All of your worries should be directed at him since he cares about us.” Simply toss it on him and let him shoulder your burdens. Because he cares for us, Jesus says we can cast all of our worries on him. Nothing we go through can't be blamed on the Lord.
A burden can be defined in a variety of ways. To begin with, a load could be anything that causes you a lot of stress or requires a lot of effort. Sending a child to school, for example, might create a lot of worry if you're a single parent. The business closes unexpectedly, leaving you without a job or any other moral support system. You'll start to doubt yourself. I'm not sure how I'm going to make this work. Worry and tension are unnecessary; simply cast your problems and anxieties on Jesus, who is concerned about you. Allow God to handle the matter, and you will be blessed soon.
Second, a burden can be a hefty load that is tough to carry psychologically and physically, such as a loved one's illness or even your own. It's possible that the illness is incurable. It may be too much for you to bear to watch a loved one suffer. The Lord wants you to lay those worries on him.
These words were written in 1 Peter 5:7 to the suffering saints of the early church who were suffering greatly and being persecuted; not because they had done anything wrong, but because they were living out their faith in humility and holiness. Peter wanted them to know that no matter what they were going through, they could cast all of their worries and fears on the Lord because he cares about them. In Psalm 55:22, David urged the same kind of dedication, saying, “Cast thy burden on the Lord, and He will maintain thee; the righteous shall never be moved.”
If past wounds, disappointments, or mistreatments have made it difficult for you to trust your loving Father, please take the time to learn to know a God in whom you can place your trust. Consider a one-on-one bible study with a Christian friend, a church Bible study class, Sunday school, or spiritual Christian therapy if you don't know how to get in contact with the Lord. Learn about the caring Lord on whom you can cast your worries. You'll learn to put your trust in the One who loves you more than anyone else. Remember that you can come to him as you are, and he can accept you as you are. So, cast everything that is irritating and weighing you down on a compassionate and loving God, dear friend! Believe me when I say that God is concerned about the righteous.
Associate chaplain of Cleveland Regional Medical Center in Shelby and associate pastor of St. Peter Baptist Church in Grover, the Rev. Annie Shear