Why are my burdens too heavy to bear? Maybe you’ve heard the common saying in church: “God won’t put more on you than you are able to bear.” If that’s true, then why am I struggling?
I wonder if I’m the only one who hears preaching that sounds so good but isn’t working out for me. I want it to be true, because it would be so good if it were. But then I have to face reality, and I wonder. What am I missing?
I’ve learned that I’m not the only one who bore a load too heavy for him to carry. The apostle Paul said, “You need to know, my friends, about our extreme calamities and persecutions in Asia, beyond the limit of human endurance, so severe that we looked forward to being in Heaven” (2 Corinthians 1:8, The Discussion Bible).
Does God love me any more or less than the apostle Paul? I don’t think so. If God put more on him than he could bear, I should expect the same. That would be really bad news for me if it weren’t for what Paul said after that: “Expecting to die, we had no strength to trust in ourselves but could only rely on God, who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9, TDB). If I will trust the Lord instead of myself, he will make a way, and I can find joy in the journey. But if I rely on my own strength and complain about having to walk through the fire, I get to take the same walk, but without the joy.
So what will it be? I think I need to apply another word from my friend Paul: “I have no reason to speak of my needs, because I have learned to be content, no matter what the circumstances are” (Philippians 4:11 TDB).
Take my yoke upon you, and learn to walk my way, for I am gentle and humble of heart. In me, you will find rest for your souls, because my yoke fits and your share of the load is light. — Matthew 11:29–30, The Discussion Bible