Brothers, I think we can agree that life has had its share of difficulties for all of us. Sometimes it’s just hard, and other times its harder than we care to admit. I speak from experience when I say this.
As men we carry the weight of the world on our shoulders (i.e. jobs, kids, families, and everything that comes with it). Many late nights with little to no sleep and long days weeping on the inside while smiling on the outside just to keep up appearances. We endure this because of pride, personal goals, promises made, and the responsibilities of being a man or the heads of our households. Working and worrying about those things will oftentimes beat us down and unknowingly add unnecessary weight to carry.
Again, I can attest to being strapped down with bills, troublesome phone calls at night, arguments, and just the everyday stresses of life. I am a person that can worry about almost everything from the minor to what appears to be major, even if it hasn’t happened yet. I’m just now learning to put God in the mist of it early. I won’t lie and say the first thing I think of is to give it to God, but once I toil in it long enough, I finally come to my senses and give it to God—the One that can help.
“Come unto me, all that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Jesus said this because He knew we can sometimes go overboard with worries and life’s troubles. Extra weight can break us down, especially if not carried properly. So, Jesus offers us a way to relieve ourselves of the extra baggage and this is done by asking Him for help.
When the cares of life start to weigh heavier and heavier, stop what you’re doing, humble yourself, and let the Lord know you truly need His help. But here’s the key to this. Once you give it to Him and He takes it—it no longer belongs to you.
We have a tendency to want to be seen as good men to all, perfect in the sight of on lookers. We can’t forget that there is only one perfect Man and He died for us, so we wouldn’t have to die from the “Extra Weight” we hold on to. In fact, we can let go of it today! May God continue to bless you, your brother in Christ…TMK.
