Most Christians understand the word ‘burden’ and place it with a group of words associated with problems, worry, fear, pain, trouble, and suffering. We can note that our burdens seem more than we can bear, and we wonder how we can go on. But how many Christians will take their burdens and associate them with faith, boldness, bravery, and trust?
There are those who may be carrying the heavy burden of sin, or burden in one’s search for God, or being oppressed from excessive demands. The good news is that Jesus frees people from all these burdens. “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” Matthew 11:28.
The rest that Jesus promises is love, healing, and peace with God and not the end to the labor. A relationship with God changes meaningless wearisome toil into spiritual productivity. Christians are to bear their own load, and bear one another’s burdens—which is fulfilling the law of God (Galatians 6:15). The struggles of life are a way of testing our faith, which could lead to opening up opportunities for service—or may be confirmation that we are living for Christ. “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose,” Romans 8:28. Just as problems, troubles and conflict can pose a burden in our lives, we too can be a burden to God.
There are spiritually feeble and weak Christians who refuse to do anything for Christ unless they are supernaturally inspired. One of the worst traps a Christian can fall into is to become obsessed with his own moments of inspiration during these exceptional times. When we exalt ourselves, we become a burden on God and He will fade out of our lives. We burden God with constant requests from morning till night asking for things for ourselves or for something we want to be delivered. Once we come to the reality of the Gospel of the word, we will never bother God any more with little personal complaints.
My weekly prayer is that the reader of this commentary becomes spiritually inspired of God. Become an Intercessory Prayer Partner with Expressions of Faith Ministry. Contact us at P.O. Box 330127, Nashville, Tenn. 37203; or e-mail <w310watson@aol.com> or <watsonwr68@gmail.com>.
