Good morning everyone and Happy Valentine’s Day,

Exodus-18:17,18-Moses’ father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.

Looking back as a non-Christian and trying to understand how I handled stress and just everyday responsibilities, I realized how worn out I was mentally and insecure about things I couldn’t possibly control. Not to say I don’t have those same laspes of unbelief and anxiety at times, but living life constantly burdened with things I can’t possibly control drove me into deep discouragement because of the fear of "dropping the ball".

One of the things that I am more aware of with increased responsibilities is the impossibility of thinking I can handle such burdens without an intentional devotion to Jesus for His grace daily. I believe there are times when God allows us to feel the burden of all the responsibilities He is bearing up for us, just so that we can feel that living without His presence is unbearable to handle all the good things He has blessed us with. (Not to mention our own personal issues and sins we must deal with)

I believe one of the many reasons people stray away from God or believe that a life of devotion and faith is a little "too serious" to take up, is because they have yet to feel the weight of what God is bearing up for them. When we get out of fellowship with God our sins are not the only thing that we feel weight from, but also the weight of good responsibilities, like family, work, friends, etc. Everything is a burden, from the standpoint it takes strength to rightly take care of good and bad burdens. The question of faith is whether we are trying to take care of all our burdens ourselves or are we seeking God for His help? He may send people like He did for Moses or He may make you confront unnecessary burdens you’ve created alone. Either way He must be our strength in order to live a peaceful and lightly burdened life of faith that honors Christ as our help.

In His Love, Ld