When I first got back to work as a preschool teacher
after quarantining my coworkers and I began talking about what quarantine was
like. We talked about what our lives were like at that point. My director said
that over quarantine she got a new shirt. The shirt said, "It's fine, I'm
fine, everything is fine." We had a good laugh about that because we knew
how stressful things were over quarantine, and how stressed we were now.
I got to thinking about that shirt. It was true in a way. Many times, we walk through life saying, "I'm fine." People ask how we are and, no matter how we are really feeling, we say "I'm fine," "I'm okay," or "I'm good." (Which is improper grammar by the way ;). It's okay to say that you are doing well when you are actually doing well. The problem is when we are not really doing well, and we say we are.
Now, don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying we should go up to random strangers and tell them how we are feeling. What I am saying is that we are to be real and honest with others.
Matthew West has a song called Truth Be Told. The chorus of the song says:
"I say I'm fine, yeah I'm fine oh I'm fine, hey I'm fine but I'm not, I'm broken, And when it's out of control I say it's under control but it's not, And you know it, I don't know why it's so hard to admit it, When being honest is the only way to fix it, There's no failure, no fall, There's no sin you don't already know, So let the truth be told"
What I am saying and what Matthew West is saying, is that we should tell others how we are feeling. We should tell fellow believers what we are going through. Not to complain, but to receive accountability, healing, and prayer.
We are in a time where anxiety and stress are higher than they have ever been. We have many worries, burdens, and problems. And the problem is we try to carry those burdens on our own when Jesus is there ready to take them from us. Matthew 11:28-30 says "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Jesus does not call us to walk through this life alone. He wants to take burdens from us. He wants us to trust in him.
Oh, but the help we can receive does not just stop with the Lord. The Lord will help us with our problems if we ask him to. But God also created us to be in communion with others. We are beings who need to be in relationship with others. That's why we are also called to bear each other’s burdens. Galatians 6:2 says, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." We are to share our burdens with others. We are not to share those burdens to complain or make others feel sorry for us. We are to share our burdens with others, so they see that we are real. People will see that we are not perfect, but we have a perfect Lord. People will be able to pray through problems with you.
So, are you trying to carry your burdens on your own? If you are not sharing your burdens, why have you made that choice? I encourage you to trust God with your burdens today and every day.
Image from here.
Link to Matthew West song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4wYkS8Z3Io
I got to thinking about that shirt. It was true in a way. Many times, we walk through life saying, "I'm fine." People ask how we are and, no matter how we are really feeling, we say "I'm fine," "I'm okay," or "I'm good." (Which is improper grammar by the way ;). It's okay to say that you are doing well when you are actually doing well. The problem is when we are not really doing well, and we say we are.
Now, don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying we should go up to random strangers and tell them how we are feeling. What I am saying is that we are to be real and honest with others.
Matthew West has a song called Truth Be Told. The chorus of the song says:
"I say I'm fine, yeah I'm fine oh I'm fine, hey I'm fine but I'm not, I'm broken, And when it's out of control I say it's under control but it's not, And you know it, I don't know why it's so hard to admit it, When being honest is the only way to fix it, There's no failure, no fall, There's no sin you don't already know, So let the truth be told"
What I am saying and what Matthew West is saying, is that we should tell others how we are feeling. We should tell fellow believers what we are going through. Not to complain, but to receive accountability, healing, and prayer.
We are in a time where anxiety and stress are higher than they have ever been. We have many worries, burdens, and problems. And the problem is we try to carry those burdens on our own when Jesus is there ready to take them from us. Matthew 11:28-30 says "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Jesus does not call us to walk through this life alone. He wants to take burdens from us. He wants us to trust in him.
Oh, but the help we can receive does not just stop with the Lord. The Lord will help us with our problems if we ask him to. But God also created us to be in communion with others. We are beings who need to be in relationship with others. That's why we are also called to bear each other’s burdens. Galatians 6:2 says, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." We are to share our burdens with others. We are not to share those burdens to complain or make others feel sorry for us. We are to share our burdens with others, so they see that we are real. People will see that we are not perfect, but we have a perfect Lord. People will be able to pray through problems with you.
So, are you trying to carry your burdens on your own? If you are not sharing your burdens, why have you made that choice? I encourage you to trust God with your burdens today and every day.
Image from here.
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