Have you ever felt overwhelmed with life?
Sometimes the burden gets too heavy.
There is a passage in Psalms which tells us that when our heart is overwhelmed that we can go to the rock that is higher than us. (Psalm 61:2) This Psalm is a prayer for Gods protection and guidance during times of distress. It expresses the need for stability and safety when we are feeling overwhelmed by life’s challenges. The “rock” is God who is our source of strength, stability and refuge.
Although we KNOW that God is our rock and we can go to Him I have buckled under the weight of life because I have failed to go to God during these times. I have tried to carry it myself.
You would think that after all of these years and my life serving God that I would be good at this. I often fail miserably at this.
Why can’t I learn this lesson?
Instead it would seem that I would prefer to stress out than give my burdens over to God. I have been told to stop stressing a lot recently but I still do. It seems that I can’t let it go.
Why?
Do I really trust God? I say that I do but I certainly don't act as if I trust Him enough to actually do it.
This a painful confession for me to make but it is the truth.
I am not running this race with patience. I am trying to do it all in my own strength and where has that gotten me? I am totally worn out. I have no energy and I feel beat up on the inside.
Starting writing this blog, I am going to regroup.
So how do we give our burdens to God? It is not something tangible and we can’t physically see God. That makes it quite difficult.
1 Peter 5:7 tells us to "cast" our cares on Jesus. So how do we actually do that? If we do a word study on the word "cast" from the original Greek in this text, it means to "throw upon" or "give away".
Okay, that is a nice thought but HOW do we give away? Well, obviously this isn't something physical we can do so it has to be something mental.
It begins with when we wake up. Starring the day right with the right mindset.
First, it begins with prayer. It's not a laundry list of what we want. We begin with expressing our feelings even if we don't have the words to express them. We shouldn't be afraid to cry. Tears speak words that our heart cannot express in English. Tears are a form of release. Ask for God's help. He knows us. We can be transparent with Him like we can with no one else in our lives.
One thing that helps me is to listen to a song and immerse myself in the lyrics which speak to me. Today I listened to the song "Goodness of God" by CeCe Winans which was absolutely perfect for what I needed.
Next, spend some time in silence. Sit quietly in God's presence. It doesn't have to be for hours. Just carving out a few minutes to do it instead of checking social media in the morning has a way of resetting your mind for the day ahead. I'm not saying it is magic but it certainly doesn't hurt.
Finally, as we go about our day and the difficulties come, remind God that you have given it over to Him and that you are trusting Him.
Will things magically change? Although, the things may not change, in time how they affect us will change. Expectations are important and we must push through them to let the "casting" work.
Sometimes the burden gets too heavy.
There is a passage in Psalms which tells us that when our heart is overwhelmed that we can go to the rock that is higher than us. (Psalm 61:2) This Psalm is a prayer for Gods protection and guidance during times of distress. It expresses the need for stability and safety when we are feeling overwhelmed by life’s challenges. The “rock” is God who is our source of strength, stability and refuge.
Although we KNOW that God is our rock and we can go to Him I have buckled under the weight of life because I have failed to go to God during these times. I have tried to carry it myself.
You would think that after all of these years and my life serving God that I would be good at this. I often fail miserably at this.
Why can’t I learn this lesson?
Instead it would seem that I would prefer to stress out than give my burdens over to God. I have been told to stop stressing a lot recently but I still do. It seems that I can’t let it go.
Why?
Do I really trust God? I say that I do but I certainly don't act as if I trust Him enough to actually do it.
This a painful confession for me to make but it is the truth.
I am not running this race with patience. I am trying to do it all in my own strength and where has that gotten me? I am totally worn out. I have no energy and I feel beat up on the inside.
Starting writing this blog, I am going to regroup.
So how do we give our burdens to God? It is not something tangible and we can’t physically see God. That makes it quite difficult.
1 Peter 5:7 tells us to "cast" our cares on Jesus. So how do we actually do that? If we do a word study on the word "cast" from the original Greek in this text, it means to "throw upon" or "give away".
Okay, that is a nice thought but HOW do we give away? Well, obviously this isn't something physical we can do so it has to be something mental.
It begins with when we wake up. Starring the day right with the right mindset.
First, it begins with prayer. It's not a laundry list of what we want. We begin with expressing our feelings even if we don't have the words to express them. We shouldn't be afraid to cry. Tears speak words that our heart cannot express in English. Tears are a form of release. Ask for God's help. He knows us. We can be transparent with Him like we can with no one else in our lives.
One thing that helps me is to listen to a song and immerse myself in the lyrics which speak to me. Today I listened to the song "Goodness of God" by CeCe Winans which was absolutely perfect for what I needed.
Next, spend some time in silence. Sit quietly in God's presence. It doesn't have to be for hours. Just carving out a few minutes to do it instead of checking social media in the morning has a way of resetting your mind for the day ahead. I'm not saying it is magic but it certainly doesn't hurt.
Finally, as we go about our day and the difficulties come, remind God that you have given it over to Him and that you are trusting Him.
Will things magically change? Although, the things may not change, in time how they affect us will change. Expectations are important and we must push through them to let the "casting" work.
