Put Your Burdens Down

Put Your Burdens Down "My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver." Proverbs 8:19 I remember my teacher in college who walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to us with a raised glass of water. Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, 'half empty or half full?' She fooled us all by asking "How heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. To 20 oz. She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "and that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on." "As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again." This lesson is so true. Don't carry your burdens through the evening and into the night, but pick them up tomorrow. The Bible tells us to be happy and content with whatever the circumstances we are facing. We will all have trials and troubles during life, but when we have Jesus in our hearts, we will never have more than we can bear. Don't let the worries of this life get you down, but learn to be happy and contented in whatever comes your way. God does not want you to go through live just getting by, but wants you to be a beacon of light for others to see. When you go around with a frown on your face, nobody wants to be like you, but when they see the big smile, even when you are going through a struggle, you are being an example for them. Let God help you share your burdens as He can lighten your load. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven September 2