Hand It Over

Photo by Belinda Fewings on Unsplash

Do you remember being a little kid, trying your best to carry something big or heavy? Did you have a lot of trouble with that thing? Did you struggle with it? Did you take a few steps and realize that, even though you wanted to carry it and thought you could carry it, that you could not carry it? Then, if you were blessed like me, you would call your mom or dad to help and they would just carry it for you.

Well, even as an adult I can still feel like that little kid from time to time. As an adult, I often find myself trying to carry things that are much too big for me carry. You do too sometimes, don’t you?

I know you do!

In my analogy above, the object you are carrying around as a kid is a physical object. But, as adults we carry around things that are much heavier and much more draining. You know what I am talking about, right? These are the things that can start eating away at you every day, like: stress, guilt, bitterness, disappointment, and the like.  They are all burdens. (And, if you are similar me, you may even be carrying around other people’s stress, guilt, bitterness, and/or other burdens too.)

I think this is just something we tend to do as we get older. We start carrying around all this…well, crap (for lack of a better word.) And, honestly, we don’t need to be carrying any of it.

Well, there is something we all need to be reminded of—and that is that whatever it is that we are carrying around right now—we can just hand it over to God.

That stress you feel from trying to do EVERYTHING and do it right—hand it over to God.

That preconceived notion that to be happy you MUST find your calling work-wise, and all the weight that comes along with that—hand it over to God.

That resentment you feel from being passed over for that promotion—hand it over to God.

That guilt you feel because you can’t be at your child’s soccer game AND take your parent to the doctor at the same time—hand it over to God.

That bitterness you feel towards yourself for that mistake you made—hand it over to God.

That disappointment you feel when life simply doesn’t go according to plan—hand it over to God.

One of the greatest things about being a child of God, is that Christ our Father, will gladly carry any and all of our burdens for us. We can hand Him all our stress, animosity, guilt, shame, disappointments, and the like.

I think that as Christians we all know this. But, for whatever reason, we tend to forget it. Or, maybe we just don’t know how to hand these types of things over to God.

I have found that the best way to hand them over to God is to just talk to Him about them. Spend some good, quality time with Him and tell Him what is on your heart and mind. Express to Him how you are truly feeling, in whatever way you can. Maybe it is through words, singing, or tears. Next, ask Him to please carry these burdens for you. Then, and this is key, hand them over to Him and STOP worrying and ruminating on them.

I want to leave you with ten Bible verses that reinforce the fact God promises to carry our burdens for us. Commit them to memory and start taking advantage of them today!

1. Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22)
2. Come to Me, all you 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. (Matthew 11:28-30)
3. Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed to free, and that you break every yoke? (Isaiah 58:6)
4. For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, “Fear not, I will help you.” (Isaiah 41:13)
5. Evan to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear: even I will carry, and will deliver you. (Isaiah 46:4)
6. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)
7. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. (Psalm 34:17)
8. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom. (Isaiah 40:11)
9. Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)
10. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galations 6:2)