Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

      Many years ago, a gentleman said to me, “A piece of paper is lighter when two people carry it.” At first, I brushed the statement off because it sounded so elementary and over simplistic. It wasn’t until later, after I had time to ponder what the man said, that I grasped the depth of the wisdom this man was trying to impart to me. Burdens are a reality of life. The secret to dealing with them is don’t carry them by yourself. 

      As a pastor there is a constant burden for the spiritual health and well-being of the congregation of the church and others in the community. Paul speaks of this weight when he writes to the church at Corinth and says, “Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.” The burden for congregations is one that is heavy and real upon a pastor’s life. 

       In the healthcare industry doctors, nurses and the rest of the medical team face a different type of burden. These folks work to treat health issues and to save lives. Healthcare workers deal with sick people and from time to time some of those patients don’t recover. I cannot contemplate the burden healthcare workers carry when this happens. They have given their all only to lose a patient.  

       My mother still works part-time as a school teacher. Teachers walk with a tremendous burden upon their shoulders. They have been entrusted to educate students and impart skills and wisdom that will, hopefully, serve those children for the rest of their lives and set them up for success. Yet, often times teachers work with limited resources, low pay, and huge expectations. What a huge burden!   

       There are very few areas of life where people are not carrying some type of burden. Law enforcement officers work tirelessly to keep crime out of the community only to sometimes feel as if the mountain is insurmountable. Single parents work to provide for their children in a time when the cost of living continues to skyrocket. Financial institutions are working hard to navigate a volatile market and all the while investors are putting pressure upon them to maintain their portfolios. Skilled workers are feeling overwhelmed from not being able to keep up with demands. Many people are carrying various types of burdens. 

       Burdens are a fact of life yet there are ways we can manage those burdens. The Apostle Peter writes in his epistle, “…casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.” One of the most astonishing aspects of God is His love and care for us. God’s shoulders are large enough to carry our burdens so we should not hesitate to bring our burdens to Him and seek His assistance. There is no weight too heavy for the Lord or that He cannot understand or help us deal with. God is always willing and ready for us to come to Him.   

       In the Book of Ecclesiastes, the author says, “Two are better than one…for if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion.” Burdens are heavy but when there is another person there to help carry that load, the burden becomes lighter and easier to bear. There is no shame in asking for help when you feel the crushing weight of a burden. Seek someone out who can assist you in dealing with the pressures and weights of life. That someone may be a counselor, a long time friend or a spiritual leader. Whoever you feel comfortable with and trust, seek that person out so they can come alongside you and help you carry your burden. Let me encourage you, a burden is lighter when two people carry it. Don’t carry it alone!