What To Do When Your Burden is Overwhelming

What to Do when your Burden is Overwhelming

Psalm 55:22FOCUS VERSE

Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

Cast: “to chuck, throw out, or to throw overboard.”

"Cast" is a familiar term around the water. Fishermen cast their bait in hopes of catching the big one. The catch, no matter the size, must be cleaned and prepared before the fishermen can fully reap the reward. After the work is done, the catch comes to the dinner table prepared for all to “Come and get it, eat and enjoy.” Passengers who find themselves in an emergency situation while aboard a boat or ship may get a different concept of the word "cast." In order to survive, those on board may have to "cast" overboard the things that threaten the safety of the ship or hinder it from reaching its destination. People "cast" their lot for the catch -- the big one in life. The catch may be a new job, new house, or new spouse -- things they want so badly. We think these items will make our lives complete, but soon learn otherwise. Beginning to live with the "catch," moving in, settling down, and /or beginning the new job may expose some flaws. There may be things to fix or work to be done before this catch really reaches its potential. The "catch" can become a blessing or a burden. When the circumstances of life become a burden, we want to cast it overboard, just as the person does who is onboard a conveyance in distress. But casting is not as easy as it looks either for the survivor or the person who has burdens in their life.

We must distinguish between the burden-bearing that is right and the burden-bearing that is wrong. We ought never to bear the burden of sin or of doubt, but there are burdens placed on us by God which He does not intend to lift off, He wants us to roll them back on Him. "Cast that He hath given thee upon the Lord." If we undertake work for God and get out of touch with Him, the sense of responsibility will be overwhelmingly crushing; but if we roll back on God that which He has put upon us, He takes away the sense of responsibility by bringing in the realization of Himself.

Many workers have gone out with high courage and fine impulses, but with no intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ, and before long they are crushed. They do not know what to do with the burden, it produces weariness, and people say - "What an embittered end to such a beginning!"

"Roll thy burden upon the Lord" - you have been bearing it all; deliberately put one end on the shoulders of God. "The government shall be upon His shoulder." Commit to God "that He hath given thee"; not fling it off, but put it over on to Him and yourself with it, and the burden is lightened by the sense of companionship. Never disassociate yourself from the burden.

"Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me." Matthew 11:29

Jesus is asking us to take one end of the yoke - "My yoke is easy, get alongside Me and we will pull together." Are you identified with the Lord Jesus like that? If so, you will thank God for the pressure of His hand. "To them that have no might He increaseth strength." The only way to know the strength of God is to take the yoke of Jesus upon us and learn of Him.

"The joy of the Lord is your strength." Where do the saints get their joy from? If we did not know some saints, we would say - "Oh, he, or she, has nothing to bear." Lift the veil. The fact that the peace and the light and the joy of God are there is proof that the burden is there too. The burden God places, squeezes the grapes and out comes the Spiritual Wine. No power on earth or in hell can conquer the Spirit of God in a human spirit, it is an inner strength that can not be conquered.

Cast Your Burdens – What do we do with our burdens?
So what can we do?

We can:

• Carry the burdens to family or friend
• Spend time unloading on a counselor’s couch.
• Cast the burdens any place that there is someone who will listen, maybe even to the stranger on the street

Few people want to listen to our woes and troubles. Even fewer have any idea what to do about our difficulties. People may even want us to help them carry some of their load. No one seems to have the time to listen.

There is one place we can "cast" our burdens, a place that far exceeds the list above. There is someone who can be the best friend you'll ever have and you can be a part of His family. He is a counselor, who has no equal and He is available and wants to listen -- any time of the day or night. He takes whatever burdens you want to cast upon Him and takes care of them for you.
His name is Jesus. He waits right now for you to call on Him; to cast all of your burdens upon Him.

Casting Your Burdens on Him

A Spiritual Exercise by Anabel Gillham

What do you do with your burdens? People and circumstances that seem to drain every ounce of your strength, things you would like to give to the Lord but just can’t seem to let go of? God showed me how to give my burdens to Him . . . a simple little exercise, but oh so wonderful to experience. I’d like to share it with you. You’ll need about 30 minutes alone. Gather a few things together from home: an envelope, a piece of paper, a pen, a watch (preferably with a second hand), and a felt-tipped pen. Go buy a helium-filled balloon. Then immediately go somewhere where there are no obstacles, no trees or buildings—maybe a deserted football stadium or a park or a lake.

Take all your paraphernalia with you to the edge of the water or the center of the field. Write about your burden on the balloon with your felt-tipped pen, anything that will help you associate that balloon with your problem. Find a rock about the size of a half-brick, and hold it and the string to your balloon in your hand, lifting it with a straight arm at a 45-degree angle. Heavy, isn’t it?

Begin talking to the Lord about your burden—all your thoughts, your fears, the pain, the destroyed dreams. As you are praying, your arm is going to get awfully tired. Keep right on praying. Tell Him everything. Any of the thoughts that you have had—vomit it all out—if there is bitterness, anger, depression—all of it.

By now you’re crying, and you can’t separate the emotional pain from the physical pain you’re experiencing because your arm is hurting so badly. Then, when you cannot hold your arm up another single second, say something like this: "Lord, You have commanded me to give my burdens to You. I can’t handle this. It’s too much for me. I can’t hold onto it any longer. You must take it." Drop the rock, release the string, and watch that burden float up into the heavens—into the open, waiting arms of God.

Thank Him for telling you to give Him your burden—and for taking it. Look at your watch and record the time and date on your piece of paper. Write this: On (date/time), I gave my burden to the Lord. And He took it. (Print that last line.)

Look up into the sky and find that tiny speck. It’s His—it is no longer yours. It’s not in your hand. He told you to give it to Him, and you did. Now fold your paper and put it in your envelope (where is the balloon? catch one last glimpse of it). Seal it, and on the outside write "GOD" and then the date.

When you get home, get an index card and cut it into strips, on each strip write just the date. Put a strip over the sink, one in your bathroom medicine cabinet by your toothbrush, one on the dash of your car—anyplace where you can glance at it—and thank Him for taking your burden. (Close your eyes and visualize that speck in the sky again.)

Please know that God loves you, understands your burdens and wants to bear that load if you will just let it go and cast it on Him. I pray that this simple exercise will give you peace. Remember, your emotions are not the barometer of peace. KNOWING that He has taken your burden and will handle it with wisdom and loving tenderness is the key to peace. (Remember how that balloon went straight to Him when you released it?) Think on these things.

CASTING OUR BURDENS

Scriptures

Psalm 55:22FOCUS VERSE

Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not

permit the godly to slip and fall.

Psalm 15:5

He does not put out his money at interest, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.

Psalm 37:5

Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

Psalm 37:24

When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand.

1 Peter 5:7

Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Just as my child brings his broken toys
with tears
for me to mend,
I took my broken dreams to God
because He was my Friend.
But then . . . instead of leaving Him
in peace
to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help
with ways that were my own.
At last I snatched them back
and cried,
"How could You be so slow?"
"What could I do, My child?" He said.
"You never did let go."

Faith Mitchner