Breathe

I want an unburdened life. Not an ignorant, apathetic, or lazy life. Just the opposite, a life of purpose, intentionality, and perseverance. But there’s a big difference between persevering in freedom and trudging under burden. In the love and liberty of Jesus, there is a life free from making yourself responsible for the outcome of every situation, or needing to carry people’s negative emotions until you can fix them. Loving and honoring people doesn’t mean submitting to their bitterness toward life, or bearing the weight of their judgments of others.

There is freedom from worrying about what other people think of you. There’s freedom from wearing the judgment, rejection, and condemnation given to you (“in love,” of course) by those who don’t like the way you think. When someone judges you, they need you to agree with them for it to have the impact their anger or fear desires. It’s like they’ve made a coat of shame for you to wear, and are trying to guilt you into putting it on. But God says He will give you a cloak of praise and thankfulness, instead of a spirit of darkness and heaviness (Isaiah 61). Don’t wear anything that doesn’t have God’s genuine designer label.

Breathe. Let the burdens come off. Let them be displaced by God’s presence. Allow God to permanently break off the shame of past failures, those recurring stabs of memory you keep asking forgiveness for. You are free. Free to live, and move, and have your identity in God. It is no longer your job to fix anyone, or live in their negativity. It is your life to receive the love, liberty, hope, joy, peace, kindness, grace and blessing of God and give it away without expectation. 

I want an unburdened life. And I want one for you, too.

“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light’ ” (Matthew 11:28-30).