Casting off the Burdens
"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,, and let us run with endurance the race that is set out before us..." --Hebrews 12:1
Yeah, this is the same verse as yesterday but with a different focus. This morning as I finished my morning run, I saw one of our companies heading out for their first road march. Rucksacks on their back, weapons at the low-ready position, they walked out in the pre-dawn morning wondering what in the world they had gotten themselves into. Probably also thinking: Man, I could do this march a whole lot easier without all this stuff on my back.
Obvious, I know...but is it really? Spiritually speaking, how many of us leave our homes each morning with a "rucksack" full things that really weigh us down...things that we were never meant to carry? Worries, doubts, fears, guilt, and problems loaded into our souls, we set out for the day and ask Jesus to join us in our troubles so that we might make it through. Sins, habits, patterns, and relationships that would ensnare us and trip us are loaded there too, with the idea that God will help us to deal with these problems. You know, the ideas are right; the process is wrong.
There's an old camp song that has a part that goes: "Cast your burdens... on Jesus... for He cares... for you." I remember this summer at Okoboji how many of the kids used to dance around to this song and I wonder what kinds of burdens they are trying to carry through which snares? I wonder if they are living the words of the song or are they asking Jesus to give them the strength to get through?
Daily, through repentance, prayer, remembrance of our Baptism, and converstations with great friends, we need to unload our spiritual rucksacks and run the race UNBURDENED. "But," we yammer, "I could be so much stronger if I carried them for a while." Stronger? Really? Stronger? How much stronger can you be than the omnipotent Savior of the Universe? "I can do ALL THINGS through Him [Christ] who gives me strength." (emphasis added) How much stronger do you need to be. Travel lighter and with endurance and get rid of the burdens and the snares.
Peace in the journey.
Yeah, this is the same verse as yesterday but with a different focus. This morning as I finished my morning run, I saw one of our companies heading out for their first road march. Rucksacks on their back, weapons at the low-ready position, they walked out in the pre-dawn morning wondering what in the world they had gotten themselves into. Probably also thinking: Man, I could do this march a whole lot easier without all this stuff on my back.
Obvious, I know...but is it really? Spiritually speaking, how many of us leave our homes each morning with a "rucksack" full things that really weigh us down...things that we were never meant to carry? Worries, doubts, fears, guilt, and problems loaded into our souls, we set out for the day and ask Jesus to join us in our troubles so that we might make it through. Sins, habits, patterns, and relationships that would ensnare us and trip us are loaded there too, with the idea that God will help us to deal with these problems. You know, the ideas are right; the process is wrong.
There's an old camp song that has a part that goes: "Cast your burdens... on Jesus... for He cares... for you." I remember this summer at Okoboji how many of the kids used to dance around to this song and I wonder what kinds of burdens they are trying to carry through which snares? I wonder if they are living the words of the song or are they asking Jesus to give them the strength to get through?
Daily, through repentance, prayer, remembrance of our Baptism, and converstations with great friends, we need to unload our spiritual rucksacks and run the race UNBURDENED. "But," we yammer, "I could be so much stronger if I carried them for a while." Stronger? Really? Stronger? How much stronger can you be than the omnipotent Savior of the Universe? "I can do ALL THINGS through Him [Christ] who gives me strength." (emphasis added) How much stronger do you need to be. Travel lighter and with endurance and get rid of the burdens and the snares.
Peace in the journey.
1 Comments:
Thank you for some inspirational words! Max Lucado is one of my favorite authors and I just got done reading his book “Traveling Light.” It is about releasing the burdens we were never intended to bear and focuses on the book of Psalms and the very common chapter 23. This is an excellent book; I highly recommend it to anyone for a little extra devotion in his or her life.
It is very true we all seem to walk into an airport, march down the road, or go to class with too much baggage. We carry around jealousy, grief, fear, shame, loneliness, disappointment, doubt, self-reliance, guilt, arrogance, hopelessness….and I could go on and on forever because of the amount of sin we are all in our lives. In Matthew 11: 28 it says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Often times I find that no matter if I pray about my burdens that sometimes it is hard to whole-heartedly hand them over to God, it seems to be my struggling point in my life. Thank you for reminding me that it is endurance that I need… to keep coming back to God with my whole heart, lay out my burdens, and except that God is willing to forgive them and has already paid the ultimate price for my life and the luggage I take with me.
God Bless,
Kristy
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