What Are You Carrying?

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

One busy Saturday afternoon, a young mom hustled through the grocery store—newborn in her carrier, with applesauce, fruit snacks, and a dozen frozen dinners piled high in her cart. Not only did this mama have a lot in her cart, but I could tell she had a lot on her mind.

She struggled to push her heavy load as she buzzed through the narrow aisles. I said a quiet prayer for her under my breath, and around every turn, I realized we seemed to be taking the same path.

After making a few purchases, I pushed my small load back to my car in the crowded parking lot. To my surprise, I discovered my car was parked right next to the frantic mom, where she was quickly unloading her groceries into the back of her minivan. As I unloaded my groceries beside her, God nudged me to offer her some help and to lift her up in prayer.

She was shocked that I stopped to notice her. After I said a quick prayer for strength, patience, and for God to remind her that He saw her, she gave me a warm smile and thanked me. As I drove home, I thought about her and all of the other people I had passed by in the grocery store that day. I began to wonder what they were carrying, too.

From the outside, we can look like we have it all together. But inwardly, we may be bearing loads of doubt, fear, grief, or the weight of difficult news.

Friend, I don’t know what you’re carrying today. But here’s what I do know: Jesus understands, and He is able and willing to take on whatever burdens are weighing you down. The truth is, He may not remove those burdens from your life completely, even after you pray about them, but you can trust that He is eager to help you carry them.

Three Ways to Lighten Your Load:

1. Come to Jesus

Listen to Jesus’ tender invitation in Matthew 11:28 today: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Wow. Friend, you are invited to lay your burdens before Jesus in prayer. Talk to Him about whatever’s on your heart. Nothing is ‘too small’ or ‘too heavy’ to bring to Him.

Spend time thanking Jesus for carrying our greatest burden—sin—to the cross and defeating it through His glorious resurrection. We are free indeed (John 8:36)! As we rest in the power and beauty of this gospel truth, our earthly burdens begin to fade into the background.

2. Invest in Christian Community

The truth is, you don’t have to carry burdens alone. Not only can you call on Jesus, but you can also call on fellow believers to help you bear the weight in prayer and support. Make a list of your top three faith-filled friends that you know you can call on.

If you’re looking for more names to add to your list, consider joining a local church where you can grow in Christian community and invest in meaningful relationships. Yes, we really do need one another.

3. Look Up & Around

God intentionally places others in our path so we can share His love and Truth with them. Whenever our eyes are looking up and around, we seem to focus more on others and can offer to help carry their burdens.

Now, let’s bring our burdens before the Lord in prayer.

Dear God,
Thank You for being strong and willing to carry our burdens. We give those burdens to You today. We know in this life we will have troubles, but You see us, love us, and have overcome! Lord, please give us eyes to see those in need of help, encouragement, and/or prayer. Please give us the courage to be Your hands and feet wherever we go. God, we trust that You will also place people in our paths to minister to our hearts when needed. Because You are always with us, and have given us the gift of Christian community, we are never alone. Thank you! We love You, God.
In Jesus’ name, amen.