The Burrs of burdens and what to do with them

Undoubtedly you’ve heard, and most likely quoted, the verse, “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (I Peter 5: 7).  Ah, here is what to do with those burdens, cares, anxieties that we pick up along the way, like pebbles on the beach. Or maybe like the burrs that stick to us as we walk along a narrow, weedy path.

One day I really “got” Philippians 4: 6-7, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” It was very timely as well—just as I started cancer treatment. I had a lot of anxieties. Downright fears. And I found that what Paul said, about giving God your worries and He would give peace in their place, is true.

Peace. And I could move ahead and do what needed to be done. Picking the burdensome burrs off myself whenever they got stuck to me, throwing them toward the Lord. He is a good catcher.

I noticed something though, as I looked at what Peter said about casting our cares on God. It was all draped in the command to be submissive to one another, humble toward others, especially our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Not to be prideful because that pits us against God … or rather, God pits Himself against the proud.

But He gives grace to the humble.

We all want grace. We all love that God is gracious to us. We are amazed at His grace. We even sing about it.

But He gives grace to those who humble themselves. Humility not just towards God, which seems absolutely reasonable, but humility toward others. Which sometimes doesn’t feel reasonable. More like threatening.

“Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (I Peter 5: 5-7).

Wrapped within humility toward one another and humility toward God lies the secret of dealing with the pesky burdens, the cares we tend to pick up when we take our eyes off the goal set before us. The burrs that stick to us as we walk along. We need not fear the fear of humbling ourselves to others or God. God is the only One in control. We can rest peacefully in that knowledge.

And the goal we need to keep our eyes on? It is always seen through the Person of Jesus Christ. As though He were see-through. Keeping our eyes on Him will keep our eyes on the goal of the Burden—capital “B”-Burden—that He has laid on us.

But how then to deal with that capital “B” Burden?