When A Burden Is Too Much

When a burden becomes:

1. Too heavy

2. Too much to endure.

3. Beyond our reach

4. Out of our control

Strength, endurance and control; when we have these things, we tend to, at best, place Jesus in the co-pilot seat, if not left in the airport hangar completely!

Sometimes God allows a burden to happen just to remind us of who is really in control. There is nothing quite like that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when struck by a burden and realizing that you are all alone with it.

Sometimes we are placed in adverse situations just so that we will remember our Lord!

Being with Jesus does not mean that you will be trouble free. Sometimes we have a great relationship with Christ but still feel the need to maintain control of the wheel. Troubles come and there we are, clinging tightly to the wheel, refusing to let go and let God. But we are always to, “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22).

As a Christian, we are to “Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

The “law of Christ” is fulfilled when we help others with their troubles and their sins. But it is equally as important to be able to receive help as it is to give it. To receive help we must put pride and ego aside. That is really tough for carnal man to do.

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

We learn in Proverbs 8 that, “pride, and arrogancy” God does, “hate”. (Proverbs 8:13).

James taught us to “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (James 4:10).

Peter adds, “that he (God) may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).

Notice that humility brings exaltation by God.

And what is the only sacrifice acceptable to our Lord?

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51”17).

That broken spirit is the breaking of personal pride. A contrite and penitent heart is the result

Pride blocks everything good, holy, and righteous, including God Himself. It was pride that caused the fall of man in the Garden of Eden.

Pride places self at the center of the universe. Humility has God at the epicenter. Nowhere is pride better demonstrated than in Isaiah 14. Watch Satan and his steady flow of the word, “I”.

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit” (Isaiah 14:12-15)

Sin is selfish and self-centered. Sin is I, me, my and mine. Sin is a consumer, not a producer. The last thing selfish sin wants to do is to help someone else with their problem. Therefore it is impossible for sin or selfishness to fulfil the law of Christ.

Pride blocks anything good because pride is a manifestation of sin.

We all have a certain level of strength, endurance and control. But we must realize that God is the creator of these things and the source of all things. Our strength, endurance and control are actually gifts of God. So at no point should we ever be proud of ourselves, for it all comes from God.

“For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)

“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:3)

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him” (Colossians 1:16).

God made it all and He wants to share it all with us, if we will let Him.

Bill Hitchcock