“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” Psalm 68:19 NIV
Burden Bearer
I read the above verse several days ago and I keep going back to it. I am a burden bearer. I feel others’ emotions (primarily physical, spiritual and emotional pain) on a level that has at times literally driven me to my knees. I have to admit it can be pretty overwhelming —and is one of the many reasons I choose not to watch, listen to, or read the news. Too much pain in too short a period of time puts me in burden-bearing overload which often depresses and angers me.
I find I tend to deal with burden-bearing in one of 3 ways:
1) I feel crushed under the weight of other people’s pain, to the point it’s hard to function;
2) I put up a wall of protection (often painted with sarcasm and a judgmental spirit) to protect myself from their pain; or
3) I bear the burden up to the Lord in intercessory prayer—asking Him to take it from me and do what is best in the situation.
The third way is the only healthy choice of these three, and I find the older I get the more I am able to quickly recognize what is going on and bear the burden up. Sometimes that is all the Lord has me do, and other times He gives me a word of encouragement or a Bible verse to share with that person.
These burdens aren’t mine to carry for any length of time (though the Lord sometimes brings the person back to my mind even if I don’t know them and the original encounter may have been months or even years ago—but I will still lift them up to Him.) It’s also not my place to try and fix—which after a lifetime of feeling the need to fix everything (and failing) is refreshing to realize. It’s not my job, it’s His.
Jesus was the ultimate Burden Bearer—In His love for us He bore our sins to the Cross, to death and even to hell and back. He won the fight we could never win.
We are called to “bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). The law of Christ is: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).
In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus promises us rest for our souls if we follow Him, learn from Him, and give our burdens to Him.
“Father God, thank You for the gift of being a burden bearer. May we bear those burdens in love and find rest for our souls as we quickly give them up to You, trusting You will do what is best. Amen.”
I’m like you too! It is a privilege to take other’s burdens to the Lord in prayer. It is the best way.
Yes I hear you! Lord help us turn things over to You!
I am also a “you”. (A burden bearer). Yesterday I made a list and I said Lord, I cannot do this but YOU can. YOU are interceding for us and I lift up these names to you because I am overwhelmed. Thank you that you are interceding for us. I physically lifted up the list and gave him the burden that was I was bearing. I left it there in more capable Hands than mine, as I continue to pray.