Whose burdens do you carry?

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Is your load too heavy?  How do you know who your load is from?

There are scads of people willing to dump their problems on you if you let them.  I'm not talking about bearing one another's burdens as Scripture tells us to.

I'm talking about trying to be all things to all men.  And not in the good way like Paul talks about when he is trying to win souls to Christ.

Are you eveyone's good little helper?  I wear that badge almost all the time and you know what?  I'm worn out most of the time!

Jesus promises us that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.  Ergo, if my burden is too heavy, I am either not sharing the load with Jesus (yoked with Him), or I am carrying a burden I was never meant to carry.

How can any burden be light, you may wonder.  I suppose when we yoke with Jesus, as He tells us to, that then, and only then, is our burden less heavy - light, even.  How?  Because Jesus can bear it all and more!  

Jesus does not get weighed down like we do.  This is because He is God! He has big shoulders, we don't.  He can handle any burden that we properly give to Him.

Problem is, heaven's little helpers, like you and me (!), are in the habit of taking on more than we are supposed to - more than our allotted share.  Not to "look good," or impress others, but because we want to help others!  

Wanting to help others is a good quality to have.  But!!!  Not when it drives us to the point of exhaustion, frustration, or worse!

Do you have a back-up?  We all need people who can "cover" for us when the load is just too much.  Ask Jesus to send someone to help lighten your load.  Or ask Him if it is your load to even begin with!  If not, then give it up already!

I don't care how much the "women's movement" did or didn't do for us women - we are still women!  We are still caregivers 99% of the time to whomever.  And it is hard.  Very hard.

There may be some of you reading this right now who can relate.  To you I say, please do not keep loading more on yourself.  Do not only give it to God, but give it up altogether!  Seek Him for wisdom to know which burdens are truly yours and which are from your need to help everyone and anyone!  He will let you know. 

I need to do this in my own life.  And I am learning!  I am learning that as I let go and delegate that I LOVE delegating!!!  Yeehah!  It is so freeing!

God is not impressed with us taking on too much.  Jesus told us that Mary, who sat at Jesus' feet, did the better part than busy Martha.  But the world does not applaud the Marys, does it now?  This is the private time between just Jesus and you, this sitting at His feet.  If you've ever spent any time there, you know this is heaven on earth - the only real bliss there is.  

So helpers of the world, unite!  Let us do more giving it to Jesus than bearing it on our own, feeble shoulders.  Let us not be afraid to say no!  No, I'm sorry but I can't help with that. No, I'm sorry but you will have to find someone else.  No, my plate is already full, but I know someone else who would be perfect for the job.  Do we have the guts to utter any or all of these phrases?!  Or do we fear that others won't "like" us if we turn them down, or we will be mistaken for selfish or lazy.  Bah!  We are following and pleasing Jesus, not man!

Is Jesus pleased when we say no to others?  Even Jesus got away from the roaring crowd much of the time.  I'm sure there were those who judged even Jesus!  There were those who wanted Him to heal them then and there, or for whatever reason, but He was up in the mountains somewhere communing with His Father.  

Busyness is the god of our age.  Phooey!  No one is impressed with how busy you are!  

Do not mistake fullness, meaning, or importance with busyness.  The most important thing you can do most of the time is to get away and just be with Jesus.  This is never "wasted" time, as some may think, but the best way to invest our time ever.  

Lord Jesus.  When did we become so busy?  It is as a drug!  Help us off this mad merry-go-round and bring us back to our senses!  Help us to just say no!  Help us to discern what burdens You would have us share wth You and those that do not belong to us at all!  For when we yoke with You, we are able to bear the burdens that You have for us because You carry it with and for us.  Give us discernment and wisdom in this, Lord Jesus.  In Your Name we pray.  Amen.

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