You can only swim upstream for so long

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. -Matthew 11:28-30

If you’re anything like me, you’ll pile on more and more and more in your own strength, and can quickly forget who can relieve you of worldly worries and burdens. These burdens can include sharing burdens with others out of concern.

When you do that, it’s like swimming upstream against the current…you can only do that for so long…and you will eventually run out of your own strength.

No matter what the burdens are you face, the important thing to remember is that, as a child of the One True King, you do not have to shoulder these burdens in your strength. I know that I forget and do this all the time, because I’ve done that my whole life, and am still learning and establishing the new habit of entrusting my burdens and outcomes to God. After all, it’s the most natural thing to do in the flesh when faced with burdens…take them head on.

As believers, we shouldn’t be so reactive, but remember to step back before just jumping in. We need to remember that how we shoulder our burdens properly—by laying them in prayer and faith at His feet, and taking up His yoke—is immensely freeing. This is the opposite of what the world would say…the world would actually say that’s insanity. But that’s because the world doesn’t see that surrender isn’t the path to defeat, but to victory…and that burdens and outcomes are not ours to take on (which is an illusion), but to be given up.

When we go in the flow of His river, life and its stresses give us supernatural calm and peace. That’s what those who don’t have Jesus in their live search for their whole lives. For us, He is always present. We just have to jump in.

Today’s soundtrack

Steven Curtis Chapman’s “Dive” encourages us to dive in and His mighty river carry us: