We often hear about the full,
Free life we are offered in Christ Jesus.
We long to be filled with the joy of the Lord,
To be grateful in all circumstances.
But despite our best efforts,
These ideals can seem completely out of reach.
Many things can get in our way of experiencing life as God intended.
One such obstacle is living under the pressure of shoulds.
Let's explore this concept as we enter into an imaginative visualization inspired by passages in Matthew 11 and Luke 11.
You are trudging up the hillside,
One foot in front of the other.
You will yourself to keep going,
Even though you are tired.
The baskets and bundles you are carrying feel heavier and heavier with each step you take.
You look over the items you are carrying to see if you can give up anything.
But you can't.
You really do need to carry every single one.
You turn around and gaze down the hillside,
Taking in the now fairy-sized village at the foot of the mountain.
You are doing a good job and you have come a long way,
You remind yourself.
But you have a hard time believing your own words.
Is it really supposed to be this difficult?
Your destination looks discouragingly far off and it feels as though you have been walking forever.
You moisten your dry mouth with a swig from your water bottle.
At least you can make one burden lighter,
The corners of your mouth lift slightly.
You can manage to keep going and so you do.
You pass by a small cottage with a white picket fence.
A welcome sign over the front door smiles at you,
But you should really keep moving.
After some time you see a bench nestled in the shade of a large old oak.
Oh,
How you would like to sit down,
But you want to keep your momentum so you pass on by.
As you walk along the path you hear the faint sound of gurgling water.
There must be a stream.
The murmur grows closer until you finally see the water flowing down the hillside.
The sound is refreshing and gentle.
You pause to refill your water,
Longing to kick off your shoes and soak your hot,
Tired feet.
But you press on.
You are counting your steps and looking at the path as you climb still higher.
Looking up ahead,
You notice someone coming toward you.
At first it seems like a traveler heading in the opposite direction.
But then you see that he's approaching you and you recognize him.
It's Jesus.
You call out and he greets you warmly.
You try to give him a hug,
But some of your baskets bump into him and get in the way.
Sorry,
You mumble.
My child,
Jesus says,
You are carrying so many burdens.
Why?
Oh,
Lord,
You say,
These are all the things that I have to carry.
I mean,
I think you want me to carry them.
I am trying to obey and to be good.
Who told you to carry these?
He asks quietly.
You pause to think about it.
Well,
Teachers and pastors and Bible study books and my parents and my family members and friends and,
Well,
Me.
Oh,
Child,
You cannot carry all of it.
He protests.
Then what am I to do,
Lord,
You ask?
Without a word,
He begins to unload the burdens one after another.
He takes the pack off your back,
The baskets from over your arms,
The parcels from your hands.
As he removes each one,
You feel lighter and stronger and relieved when the very last package is lifted.
You throw your hands in the air and celebrate.
Then you throw your arms around Jesus and give him an unencumbered hug.
It feels so good.
What about all of these burdens,
You ask?
What am I supposed to do?
These were never meant to be your burdens,
Child,
He answers.
And handing you a single basket,
He says,
Here is the load specifically designed for you to carry.
You gladly accept the basket,
Marveling at its lightness.
You give him another quick hug and head on your way.
After a bit,
You peek curiously into the basket.
To your surprise,
It is full of invitations.
There is an invitation to enjoy a stream,
An invitation to a meal at a cottage up ahead,
Another invitation to rest and take breaks,
And an invitation to be with Jesus.
The basket also contains a fresh loaf of bread and instructions on how to find someone in particular so you can share.
Your eyebrows go up.
This seems too easy,
Too good to be true.
You swing your basket cheerfully as you resume your ascent with a joyful spring in your step and gratitude in your heart.
Friends,
Living up to others' expectations can be overwhelming,
Especially when those expectations are confused with obedience to God.
If you are feeling burned out,
I invite you to take some time to read Matthew chapter 11,
Verses 28 through 30 and Luke 11,
46.
Then ask God to help you discern what he is wanting you to carry.
Are there any burdens you can hand over so you can live the life God has for you?
Letting go of pressure from others and ill-fitting assignments opens space for you to experience rest,
Authentic joy,
And a sense of fulfillment.
And it can take you one step closer to that full,
Free life in Christ.
