I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
Burden Bearers
Everyone carries burdens. The things we go through shape the way we view the world—and ourselves. But we weren’t meant to carry our burdens alone.
In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says to the people following Him:
"Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you… For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." (NLT)
A yoke is a heavy wooden beam that lies across a pair of oxen, evenly distributing the weight of the loads they carry. But the term was also used by Jewish Rabbis. “The yoke of the law” symbolized complete submission to God’s law, and Rabbis taught that becoming yoked to it would free the Jews from enslavement to the world.
Jesus is using a phrase that His Jewish followers would have easily understood, but then He flips the illustration. He tells the crowd that they must yoke themselves to Him—because He is the fulfillment of their law.
When they do this, the burdens they carry won’t be heavy at all, because He will bear the weight of their burdens.
Paul references this teaching in his letter to the Galatian Christians:
“Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:2 NLT
The law of Christ is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love others as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). But the only way we can fulfill the law of Christ is if we bind ourselves to Him. When we are yoked to Jesus, He becomes our source of strength.
He helps us endure hard situations and enables us to walk away from poor decisions. He fills us up with His love so that His love can overflow from us. He gives us the capacity to support other Christ-followers just like He supports us.
Just as Jesus bore our sins and suffering, we are called to bear the suffering of others. In this way, we show them the love of Christ and guide them toward Jesus.
Right now, spend a few minutes talking to God about the burdens you need help carrying, and then allow Him to show you the people in your life He wants you to support.
Run Your Race
We all know it—life isn’t easy.
Challenges can arise that are so difficult, we can be tempted to give up or numb out. Whether it's an overwhelming circumstance, the demands of family life, or the pressures of work, it can sometimes feel like it's just too much.
When we find ourselves wanting to quit, the book of Hebrews gives us a powerful encouragement to hold onto:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
Hebrews 12:1 NIV
“Witnesses” refer to believers who have gone before us, those whose lives are a testament of faithfulness to God. Their stories remind us that we're part of an even bigger narrative, a legacy of faith that spans generations.
This scripture also urges believers to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles." Hindrances may be easy to see, such as sinful ...
