You Were Never Meant to Carry It All
Yesterday, I was carrying a handful of things out to my car. I had my Bible, backpack, water bottle, keys, and several other items. As usual, I was determined to get everything to the car in one trip.
Instead of asking for help or simply making a second trip, I convinced myself I could handle it all.
And what happened? Exactly what usually happens when I try to carry too much.
I dropped everything.
My Bible went flying, along with several other things I was carrying. As I bent down to pick up my Bible, the Holy Spirit spoke something into my heart:
“This is what happens when you try to carry more than you’re supposed to.”
And immediately, I realized this wasn’t just about the things I had dropped. This was about life.
How often do we try to carry everything ourselves?
We carry our worries, responsibilities, relationships, finances, struggles, expectations, and the burdens of others. We keep piling more and more onto ourselves, convincing ourselves that we can handle it.
We don’t ask for help. We don’t slow down. And sometimes, we don’t even think to give those burdens to God.
Then, eventually, something falls.
Sometimes it’s a relationship we’ve neglected. Sometimes it’s an opportunity we’ve missed. Sometimes it’s our peace, our joy, our health, or even our time with God.
And sometimes, the very things we were trying so hard to hold together end up damaged because we refused to put something down.
Here’s what the Holy Spirit reminded me yesterday: Just because you can pick something up doesn’t mean God intended for you to carry it.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28:
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28 (CSB)
Notice that Jesus doesn’t tell us to get stronger so we can carry more. He tells us to come to Him.
There’s a difference between being responsible and trying to control everything. There’s a difference between serving others and carrying burdens God never asked us to carry alone.
And there’s a difference between trusting God and simply telling Him we trust Him while refusing to release what’s weighing us down.
I could have made two trips yesterday. I could have asked someone to help me. But instead, I chose to struggle because I wanted to do it all myself.
How often do we do the same thing spiritually?
We ask God for strength to carry everything when maybe He’s asking us to put some things down and let Him carry them.
Galatians 6:2 reminds us to carry one another’s burdens. God didn’t design us to walk through life alone. He gave us Himself, and He placed brothers and sisters around us to help along the way.
So today, I want to challenge you, and myself, with a simple question:
What are you carrying today that God never intended for you to carry alone?
Is it worry? Fear? Guilt? A relationship? A responsibility? Something from your past that you just can’t seem to put down?
Maybe today isn’t about finding the strength to carry more.
Maybe today is about having the faith to carry less.
Because when we insist on carrying everything ourselves, eventually something is going to fall. And sometimes, what falls is something precious that God entrusted to us.
Don’t wait until everything comes crashing down before you ask for help.
Give God what belongs in His hands, carry what He’s entrusted to yours, and trust Him with the rest.
Have a blessed day!
Rev. Carlos Figueroa
TheFreeBible.org
