“It’s not the load that breaks you down; it’s the way you carry it.” ~ Attributed to C.S. Lewis
Today’s quote has been attributed to a few different people in the past but the one it is most attributed to is C.S. Lewis. To be fair, it sounds most like him but since so many quotes have been attributed to him that are questionable, I put the “attributed” clarifier in the acknowledgement. Ah, the load on editors who always strive to have things absolutely correct. (They would probably come after me for using “attributed” four times in this paragraph as well!)
We all have burdens that we shoulder and attempt to carry. Sometimes, the burden isn’t that bad or, perhaps, we have grown accustomed to it. Other times, our burdens weigh us down so much they immobilize us. Are they that difficult, though, or are we just carrying them wrong?
I learned at a young age that there are certain ways to pick things up in order to protect the back or the knees. There are also certain ways to hold something bulky in order to transport it best with minimal physical problems. Huge items can be lifted and carried if we take the proper precautions. The same holds for the unseen burdens that we all carry.
Sometimes we carry a burden improperly. It might be because we are carrying too many at one time. It might be because we allow our emotions to overwhelm us. There are many different reasons that contribute to our carrying burdens improperly. When we do so, they weigh us down and have the potential to break us.
Just as in carrying a physical burden, though, our emotional or spiritual burdens cannot break us if we employ one simple strategy: ask for help! Too often, we allow pride to get in our way. I remember some of those occasions when I was younger. I would pick up something too heavy to carry by myself. Someone would ask if I needed a hand with it. In my pride, I would decline the offer and struggle off on my own often paying the price later with sore or pulled muscles.
How many times have people told us to swallow our pride? How many times have we failed to accept that admonition? How many times have our refusals to ask for help caused us problems? God has put people in our lives to give us the physical and emotional support that we need. Even if they all fail us, God is in our lives and will give us what we need to shoulder and carry our burdens. He will never let us down.
FAITH ACTION: Set aside your pride and ask God to help you carry any load that is too burdensome for you.