Burden

Burden

“Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Psalms 55:22, NKJV

What is burdening you in your life?

A burden is a heavy load. It can keep you from having peace because it weighs you down.

Most times when we think of our responsibilities in life it’s not defined as a burden because they often are blessings. Family, school, job, house, car, church, friends, and the list continues. You do many different things and function in many different roles in your life. At some point, all of those roles get intertwined and you’re pulled in many directions.

You are needed by people you care about so of course, you respond. “Yes Patty I can help you prep for the shower” or “of course I can talk right now, what’s going on?” (when you are literally pulling straws out of your kid’s nose while the macaroni is boiling over the stove onto the floor that your dog is licking up.) You’re busy and that’s most likely not changing any time soon. 

But when does responsibility turn into burden?

Think about the reason you have so many roles. You work hard, you care about people, and you try to be a reliable support to those who need help. This may vary according to your specific personality or lifestyle, but for the most part, it’s why you choose to commit your time to many things/people. Sometimes, because you’re human and can’t do everything by yourself, you get burned out.

If no one has ever told you….. it’s ok not to be Superwoman (or man). Sometimes you will make mistakes and not follow through with everything.

When responsibility turns into burden is when it becomes an unrealistic and unattainable expectation. It becomes a task and no longer a blessing. Your entire day is filled with things to do and you don’t get a chance to breathe. Juggling too many balls leads to one falling down at an unexpected moment, which causes all of them to fall.

The burdens that most people don’t see in your life, God sees.

Your mind wrought with a heavy choice to make, or your heart hurting with grief. The things that make you not want to get out of bed because you can’t face another moment with the load you’re carrying… that’s what He is interested in. He knows your heart and wants you to lean on Him for support.

He can carry the extra weight of anything that is troubling you. He will bear it, you just have to give it up. That’s really the hardest part. The faith of letting it go for Him to handle. You have absolutely no idea how He may already be working in your life regarding the very thing that has you trapped. He has a way of surprising you in the solution. Deciding that you don’t have, nor want, control and letting it go to Him is a great act of faith. He will sustain you and guide you.

He wants you to be the person He created you to be.

All those roles you have in your life are blessings to you and to those people you impact every day. If you aren’t filled with vigor and love, then it’s going to be pretty hard to deliver the fruits of your spirit like gentleness, kindness, and joy. He will lead you but you have to put your faith in Him. Talk to Him about it, spend some time with Him, and let Him know what’s burdening you today. You will be surprised at the response you see in your life.

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burden you Kelly Jo Wilson

What are your struggling with today?

There are moments when we just don’t have it all together. Some of of them are short-lived and we move forward. But some cause us to be stuck. What is causing you to be stuck? Feel free to comment below

Perfect Love

Perfect Love

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.”

1 John 4:18-19 NKJV

Fear is a loud bark with no bite. The “what ifs” of the world create the worst fears in people, more than the “what is” could ever do. Anxiety, insecurity, and worry are all rooted in fear. If you’ve struggled with any of those you know that the worst place is in your own mind because you think of every possible scenario to fuel your fear. It gains momentum with every outrageous what if, and you feel more helpless.

What does anxiety look like?

“I am ok. I’m ok. I’m really ok. Today is good. It is. I know that it will all work out. But that one time it didn’t. That one time it really didn’t work and it hurt. It hurts. It’s not working. I’m not ok. Am I ok? I don’t think so. I know it’s going to go wrong just like the last time. Why would it work? Why wouldn’t it work? I can’t do this. I need out. I need to leave. How do I get out of here? I thought this was over. I can’t take it anymore. What will everyone think? I need to figure this out. I need to do better. I need to be better. Why can’t it just work? It can’t. It won’t. But I’m ok. I am ok. I’m really ok. But I’m not. I need out.”

What a tormenting thought process.

Continuously hyper-focused on everything that could happen and no security in the ability to handle anything that actually does happen. It’s an all-consuming fire sucking the oxygen out of the room. You can’t breathe, you panic, and you have no idea how it started. It just happens sometimes and you feel completely out of control. Other people don’t understand how you can just think certain things that are negative and binding to you’re very well-being, but they don’t have to live with the torment. They don’t know that you would do anything to stop it if you could. 

I am a nurse and I will tell you there are plenty of medications that can help, and for many people they do. Although, it seems that the medications are a temporary fix for what’s really going on deep inside of you. Those deep dark places that involve fear, worry, anxiety, and insecurity are your most vulnerable parts of yourself. As a result, you rarely share your fight among them, and so you are left to battle alone.

But you are not alone

Jesus has already fought for you and will do so again. When you let go, and believe in Him, you are filled with His Holy Spirit. His Spirit searches your heart and reaches those dark places you don’t tell anyone about. He loves you so much He died for you, there is nothing you can do to earn that, it is because of God’s grace that He loves you. His love is perfect, without flaw. As you are right this moment, He loves you and wants you to let Him into your heart.

There is not one thing you’ve done that can keep you from the perfect love of God, and that is the absolute truth.

If you believe the lie that you’re not worth it, it’s time to stop and choose a different path. The perfect love from God casts out all your fears. The energy the fear steals from you is restored by Him. Once you let go and let Him handle it, you see a new path. Your new path involves the process of letting go and letting Him deal with it, continuously. What once was a continuous loop of terror, becomes a continuous loop of support.

If you’re wondering why me? It’s because His grace is sufficient for you.  He loves you. The perfect love of God is not like anything else. It’s not because of anything you’ve done to earn it, it’s because He loves you as you are and wants you to have a good life with Him.

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perfect love kelly jo wilson

Have you ever thought about what real unconditional love is?

Love that has no boundaries and endless availability. God loves us in a way we can’t even love ourselves. Comment below and tell me your thoughts.

Please be kind and respectful with your comments. This forum is meant for encouragement because there are just too many things in this world to bring us down.
Armor of God

Armor of God

What is the Armor of God? Why is it important?

Ephesians 6: 10-20

  • Girded waist of Truth
  • Breastplate of Righteousness
  • Shods (shoes) of peace
  • Shield of Faith
  • Helmet of Salvation
  • Sword of the Spirit

The armor of God protects you from all the powers that are against you. In the world there are things you are faced with every day. Things that are wonderful but things that are absolutely terrible as well. You as a child of God are not of the world, so the things of the world cause you friction in your own life. You experience anger, frustration, temptations, lust, jealousy, and all those things that cause a grievance to your spirit.

In the world it seems like we are constantly fighting a battle.

Your faith versus your flesh. What you want versus what you need. It’s not just desires in our flesh that we are wrestling, it’s spiritual powers too.

“12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12, NKJV). Satan is called the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:2), and he is not looking out for your own good. If you have faith in God, and believe that Jesus is the Son of God that has died for you and rose again, you better believe that you are not liked by the other side and you’ll be attacked. There is no soft way to say that, because it’s simply the truth.

Do you ever feel like distractions are at an all time high when you try to pray?

 Or maybe you can’t stop thinking about something, anything other than God, when you’re trying to listen to your pastor or bible group? Those “powers” Paul talks about will use ANYTHING to distract you. Your family, your job, your body, your passion, your talents…Your vulnerabilities are targeted, and it’s like you are trying to read an article but can’t get through it because of all the pop ups.

Those pop ups are annoying at first but then something appeals to you. You’re intrigued so you click, then you are down a rabbit hole of more clicks, until it’s then time to go to work or take the kids to a game and your time is spent. You’ll never get that time back. That’s why it’s good to prepare yourself for those moments. You need to be ready, with some armor to help you, especially in those vulnerable times that we all experience. Jesus is your soldier who already fought for you. You can use His armor to protect yourself.

Every day before you even get out of bed there may be a “fiery dart” waiting to strike you. Remember, you believe in Jesus and He has already defeated those darts. Sometimes all it takes is you asking Him for help right in that moment. Asking Him to fight for you and for Satan to get behind you.

When the moments happen that are particularly difficult and all you can do is fall helplessly to the floor, the armor of God is what helps you to stand and face it. You are not alone, He is always with you. You are a soldier for Him, and He will equip you with everything you need. Submit to Him, talk to Him, and ask Him what He wants to do in your life. Ask Him for direction on where to go, who to trust, and what choice is best. You will get the answers you seek. You have to let go of the worry and start to trust that He will take care of you.

 

It’s the hardest step, letting go.

It may take years but once you do it’s like your spirit is free from all the chains it has been entangled. You seek Him and not yourself, and you learn more about how He is working in your life. You are then open to understanding you didn’t have before, and see the armor more plainly than ever. Look into His word and seek understanding, He will guide you through it.

“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.“(Eph 6:14-18, NKJV)

armor of God reflection

When is it hardest for you to talk to God?

We are all very busy in our lives and it’s hard to find the time to talk to God. But when is it the absolute hardest for you? When you’re angry? When you’re busy? Comment below

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