Give Your Burden To The Lord
“Remember, the burden of sorrow is doubled when it is borne alone.”
~ Goran Persson
In today’s gospel, we heard Jesus tell the people, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Mt 11:28) Jesus, being truly human, knew all the truths about our humanity.
One of those truths is that we do not bear burdens well when we are forced to bear them on our own. If, on the other hand, someone helps us bear a burden, that which was thought to be impossible can become light and tolerable. The “burden” may be the same; however, having someone to help makes all the difference in the world.
We are doing ourselves an incredible injustice nowadays. It seems that there is a belief that we must face things on our own and do things on our own. If we ask others for help, we often hear, that is an admission of weakness. Not wanting to appear weak, many try to face, lift, or carry their burdens alone. When they do so, they find themselves crumbling.
We should not feel ashamed to ask someone for help. If God wanted us to do everything on our own without help from anyone else, He would have created one person and one person alone.
He did not do that. No, He created many. One of the reasons God created so many people was so that we would be able to help one another.
Just as we should not be ashamed to ask someone else for the help that we need, we should also not be afraid to reach out to others in their need. We know what it is like to try to carry a burden ourselves and we know the incredible relief we feel when someone steps in and comes to our aid. That, alone, should motivate us to help others.
Think of all the people you admire. Ask yourself why you admire them so. I am willing to bet that, at the top of your list, you admire them because of their willingness to help others and their cheerfulness when doing so.
Never begrudge anyone the help that they need. Who knows when you will be in their position and need help yourself.
And remember, when you cannot find anyone to help shoulder your burden, the Lord is always there asking you to give your burden to Him. You will always have help.
FAITH ACTION: Cheerfully come to the aid of another today without expectation of any return.