Wednesday Jan 10^th 2024

Here we are again – it’s Wednesday, and for me that is weigh-in day. So today I have chosen WEIGHT as the Wednesday Word.

Too soon in the year for you? Well hear me out.

This morning, as every week, I looked at the weight – and recorded it – while chastising myself for carrying around all the excess pounds. Every time I carry something up the stairs I remind myself that if I just lost (however many pounds what I am carrying weighs) it would be so much easier. Every time I pick up something heavy, I make note that I carry more than (whatever it weighs) that in excess fat on my body all the time.

Every extra pound, every excess roll of fat, puts extra burden on my heart and other body systems. Yet I still do it, knowing full well that it would be better to get rid of it and that I have the knowledge of how to do so.

We do the same thing with the weighty burdens we carry on our hearts and minds. We allow stress and fear and envy and other burdens to hang on when we have the ability to cast them off.

Many years ago I gave my Sunday School class an assignment: each student was given a large garbage bag to take home. Into that bag was to be placed every piece of trash they personally created all week. Anything they would normally toss in the trash can (this was before recycling was a “thing” – I said it was many years ago!). And though I would like to have had them carry it around with them everywhere, that seemed too much to ask. Some had rather light bags, and some had fairly heavy bags when they came the next Sunday.

I asked how they felt about the assignment – and other than dumb and annoying, they agreed that it made them aware of how much trash they accumulated just by themselves.

So how about you? Do you carry around a lot of “trash”.

In Matthew 11:28 we read that Jesus said “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

All that extra weight – those heavy burdens we carry – can be given to Jesus! He can carry them for us!

Do you remember the song “Take it to the Lord in Prayer”? It asks “are you weak and heavy-laden, burdened with a load of care”, and tells us to take it all to the Lord in prayer.

All that extra weight we carry – that burdens our souls and keeps us from being the person God wants us to be – can be given to Jesus, taken to Him in prayer, and left at the foot of the cross.

Shall we pray?

Precious Heavenly Father – please take the burdens I try to carry on my own, and let me walk with Jesus, guided by Your Holy Spirit and ready to serve. In Jesus’ name, Amen.