Lighten your burdens by turning to Scripture

“Come to me, you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

— Matthew 11:18 (NIV)

We live in a frantic, troubled world. With all we try to accomplish, we become stressed and loaded with many burdens. I have compiled a list of some things taught in the Scriptures that I believe, when applied to our lives, will make our burdens lighter.

1) Giving up the “what if” can remove that sense of worry and torment in our hearts. Sometimes our concerns can turn into a list of worries and cares as we ponder “what if” this or that should happen. When we are burdened with worry, we are instructed through the Scriptures to take our anxiety to the Lord in prayer. (Philippians 4:6-7).

2) When hopelessness prevails over our circumstances, we need to enlighten our minds with the truth of God’s Word. Quiet time mulling over the promises in God’s Word can transform our burdensome thinking into some thoughts of rest and peace. “Peace I leave with you … do not let your hearts be troubled” (John 14:27 NIV).

3) Looking over our list of commitments and assessing how we may have overcommitted our time is another step to take toward lifting burdensome stress. Although we should strive to keep our commitments, there are times when we have lacked wisdom in planning our schedules. Praying over our “to-do” list and re-examining our priorities can help. Gracefully bowing out of something we thought we could handle, but realize is not possible, can be done with an explanation and apology. This shouldn’t be a regular practice, but sometimes we get in a bind. Learning how to handle the dilemma with excellence is the key to feeling some relief. “Making the very most of the time” (Ephesians 5:16 AMP).

4). Being grateful rather than constantly grumpy during times of pressure can give us a new perspective. Gratitude sees things in a different light. “As you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:17 NIV).

5) “His compassions fail not. They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22). Asking for forgiveness for sins and receiving a fresh new start each day can lift burdens of guilt from our weak shoulders.

6) Accepting ourselves and throwing away comparisons can make us lighthearted when we think we don’t measure up to others. “You knit me in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13 NIV).

7) Committing our ways to the Lord and listening for direction, can guide us in our daily decisions and make our loads lighter, as we allow God to take over. “In all your ways acknowledge him.” (Proverbs 3:6 NIV).

As we pray and surrender our hearts in these areas, may we find rest from our burdens producing stress.

Ÿ Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. she can be contacted at Annetteebudzban@aol.com.