"At the end of his life, Sir Winston Churchill said, ‘When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened’!
Churchill was speaking about the burden of worries that never materialise. However, there are many different types of ‘burdens’ in life, and some of them are very real. Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you … and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light’ (Matthew 11:28–30).
A yoke is something Jesus would have made in a carpenter’s shop. It is a wooden frame joining two animals (usually oxen) at the neck, enabling them to pull a plough or wagon together. The function of the yoke is to make the burden easier to carry.
I love the way Eugene Peterson translates this passage in The Message: ‘Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I will show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly’ (Matthew 11:28–30).
In each of the passages for today we see different kinds of ‘burdens’.
Psalm 68:15-20
Burden of worry
As Corrie Ten Boom pointed out, ‘Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.’ David praises God ‘who daily bears our burdens’ (v.19). Burdens here may include many things. One of the burdens that God bears for us daily is the weight of worry, stress and anxiety.
In his book Affluenza, the psychologist Oliver James points out that ‘almost a quarter of Britain suffers serious emotional distress, such as depression and anxiety, and another quarter are on the verge thereof. Put bluntly, half of us are in a bad way ... those earning over £50,000 ... were recently shown to be more prone to depression and anxiety than those earning less.’
Each day you can commit to God your worries and anxieties. It makes all the difference. He ‘daily bears our burdens’ (v.19).
1. Thank You Lord that You teach about letting go, about giving the burdens to You.Thank you, Lord, that today I can come to you and bring to you all my burdens, worries and anxieties."
2. Thank You for delicious and affordable local dishes!
3. Thank You for the gift of great time with new friends, it may be just another season but they have been a great part of me.
