Loads vs. Burdens November 6, 2007
Posted by Erin in : General Lessons , trackbackJoe,
I had shared part of a message that I had listened to this morning with some people and since you encouraged me to write it down here, some people will be hearing a repeat of what I said this morning! Anyway, as I was on the elliptical this morning, I was listening to a message by Carolyn Mahaney called “Can You Do It All and Do It Well?” As a mother, I know that question runs through my mind a lot, and I am sure it does for those dads out there as well. We live in a time where we have more opportunities to do things due to technology and the ways we are connected to others that we seem to be a generation of over-worked, over-committed, exhausted and often joy-less people.
Basically the climax of her message came when Carolyn said that we see so few people who are bearing their load with joy and ease these days. She used the word “load” because of its use in Galatians 6:5 where Paul says “For each one will have to bear his own load.” Carolyn explained that the word for “load” int he Greek referred to a backpack that a hiker or solider would carry on his back. So heavy, but not impossible to carry on his/her own. In contrast, she notes that a different word is used earlier in Galatians 6 where we are instructed to “bear one another’s burdens” in verse 2.
Her point was that we each have a load to carry and there is no reason we should not be doing this with joy and ease when Jesus has told us that when we take His burden it is easy and light. She then went on to give some reasons why we do not see more Christians bearing their load with joy and ease.
One of the first reasons our loads are not borne with happiness is because we are carrying more than God calls us to. this could be because of a pride in thinking we can do more than God has called us to. It could be due to fear of man, in that we struggle to tell someone “no” when they ask us to do something. We may not ask for others advice before taking on tasks and think we have all wisdom, which is again pride, and end up having too much to do.
Another reasons we may not bear our load in a way that glorifies God is because many of us are terrible managers of our times. As Christians, this really should not be. We are exhorted in God’s Word to make the most of our time because the days are evil. We should be the best time managers on the planet! We waste so much time each day, but then complaint hat we don’t have enough of what we have just wasted away. We also waste time not by simply doing various frivolous things, but also by not being in efficient int he things we are called to do. So many people are bogged down because they do not have an effective way of completing the tasks that God has set before them. they spend twice as long on things because they have no specific system in place for their lives to run smoothly. I would be amiss not to highly recommend David Allen’s book “Getting Things Done” as a great tool for getting your life into a comprehensive system. And read it more than once!
Lastly, we may not be bearing our load because we are simply over dramatic about how much we have to do. A simple thing I wish I had learned earlier is: LIFE IS BUSY. Call it is busy or full or exciting or fast-paced, but that is life. And everyone’s life is like that, so our complaints often fall on deaf ears. Life is not just sitting around sipping tea and relaxing. Of course, we should have those times of refreshment, but life is also a battle. One of the best things I was ever told as a new mom, was by my wonderful husband. I was tired and flustered about life as a new mom, and he looked at me one night and said “I think you need to expect to be exhausted at the end of every day.” Oh how I needed to hear that and I think there are so many other joyless, burdened, run down Christians who need to hear it too. It is a joy to do the Lord’s work! In the words of Nancy Leigh DeMoss, if He has called you to it, then you have enough time for it.
Hopefully this will minister to other parents as we bear our loads today as it did me. Another thing that spoke to me this morning was how much we need to hear those encouragements. Parents, let’s not just store up for the day in our morning quiet times, but let’s feed our souls through out the day with Scripture meditation, reading good books, and listening to messages. There is time for it!
Carrying the load for His glory,
Erin
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