The Briefcase

My briefcase overfloweth. You know what I mean. That semi-large leather bag filled with stuff that for some reason or another I find is important to hold onto. Every now and then, I begin to have shoulder issues also known as bursitis. The pain comes on slowly and then begins to throb while I am trying to get my beauty sleep. The pain becomes so great that I find myself trying not to use that arm at all. With all this said, I have come to two a conclusions. First, the pain in my shoulder is caused by carrying something that is way to heavy for my weak muscles. And second, it is time to remove from the briefcase meaningless things that I have been holding onto.

If you are anything like me, you can easily relate this briefcase analogy to the weights we carry in our life. Try as I may to manage the stress of life, sometimes the weight of what I find myself carrying causes me to become debilitated. The weight of stress will always make itself known. Numerous tests have been done on this topic to prove the effects on our lives. Stress takes it toll on our physical, emotional and spiritual bodies. Headaches, sleeplessness, moodiness, anger and depression are just a few of its symptoms.

The Holy Spirit is our greatest teacher, comforter, healer and deliverer! Just as we have to go through things in our briefcases in the natural and remove unnecessary weights, that is what we have to do within ourselves as well. We need to allow God to search deep within our inmost beings and to remove those things that burden us and cause our spirits to be downcast.

God never intended for us to carry burdens that are too heavy or that were never intended for us to even be carrying. We not only carry our own, but often we fall into carrying other peoples burdens as well. For one reason or another we choose to carry the very things that were meant for Jesus and Jesus alone to carry.

Matthew 11:28-30 says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Jesus becomes the place of great exchange.

Disciplining ourselves to cast our cares upon the Lord reveals to God that we have truly placed our trust in Him. Casting ALL our cares on God puts him in the place to sustain us - and after all, that is His job, not ours.

What's in your briefcase?