Laying Down What Was Never Mine To Carry
LYSA TERKEURST
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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NIV)
I’ve been carrying a burden that’s been weighing me down for a long time. And today, right now, this minute, I’m choosing to lay it down.
I’m releasing it to God. And I’m making a commitment not to pick it back up.
I suspect you might have a similar situation in which you keep trying to control something or someone completely out of your control.
- It’s that situation you can’t fix, but you keep fretting about it anyhow.
- It’s that desire to change a person who isn’t willing to change, but you keep working harder on them than they are willing to work on themselves.
- It’s that expectation you know is unrealistic, but you keep letting your disappointment hijack your emotions.
- It’s that longing you say you’ve given to God, but you keep working behind the scenes, desperate to arrange things yourself.
We can be responsible to do what we should do in all of these scenarios. But we shouldn't try to do what only God can do. As I was praying through how to really live this, the Lord brought Matthew 11:28-30 to mind:
“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” (NIV).
Sometimes I think the reason I hold tightly to burdens I need to release is because I don’t see tangible evidence of God doing anything. I see no change. No intervention. No breakthrough. But God is working. Even in the silence and the unknown. That means I can stop pushing. I can stop trying to control. I can stop trying to make people something they aren’t. I can embrace the truth that there is a Savior of the world, but it isn’t me. This doesn’t mean I give up. It means I’m leaning into the light and easy way of Jesus.
The Message paraphrase puts Matthew 11:28-30 this way:
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll 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” (MSG).
Wow. What if we released the burdens we’ve been carrying and exchanged them for Jesus’ unforced rhythms of grace?
Today is a great day to say, “Enough. I’ve done my part, and now I must let God do His part.” Together, let’s be obedient to God by declaring we will trust Him with what we are laying down. I believe the more we trust Him to do what only He can do, the less we will resist Him. The less we resist Him, the less we will suffer with anxiety about the unknown.
God, I’m asking for Your help as I release this burden that feels really heavy. I’m trusting You with it all — the outcomes, the questions, the unknowns. Help me remember that even if I tried to keep carrying this, I wouldn’t be able to control the outcome. You’re the perfect, sufficient Savior who already knows the future, who isn’t caught off guard by any of it, and who knows how to lead me through it. Help me trust You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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You can stop carrying the weight of holding everything and everybody together — surrender what you’re most worried about into God’s fully capable hands with the help of Lysa TerKeurst’s FREE resource “Am I Trying To Control the Uncontrollable?” This gentle, guided resource is filled with prompts, reflection questions, prayers and more! Download now.
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FOR DEEPER STUDY
Psalm 127:2, “It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones” (NLT).
What is a burden you could lay down to receive rest from God?
We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.
© 2024 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
Originally published Thursday, 26 September 2024.
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