I have been going through some really taxing and stressful times lately. Even the small things in life have been harboring silent animosity and aggression towards me. Guess I’m getting a bit paranoid! This last week has been a test of my patience, my joy, my peace and ultimately my faith. How did I do with these trials, tribulations and tests of life you may ask?

I didn’t always pass with flying colors.

I consider myself a fairly mature Christian, long past the hand-holding stage when you first believe. With decades of growth and a deepening of my faith and understanding of God’s principles, I thought I had a pretty good handle on life. Now I understand more clearly the unction Christ gave about not tempting the Lord God.

He meant it.

In all this my heart has been crying out to God with that universal primal scream of “why?” — that we so often revert to when coherent thought fails us. When He can no longer reach us with understanding and we stand lost and totally out of control. Then it dawned on me.

God had me where He wanted me.

He had a lesson for me to learn that would bring me peace and a deeper understanding of how to be free from the chaos and insanity of this sinful world. But first, I had to be broken enough (or rejoicing and praising enough) to get my attention about this clearer and cleaner path to travel. I needed to understand the difference between a ‘burden’ and a ‘cross’. One we give to the Lord, and the other one? Well we ourselves must carry it, afterall it is called a burden. So what is the difference?

The difference lies in the application of YOUR personal efforts in the situation. Understand that God says: “28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light…” Matthew 11:28-30, and then He also tells us: “23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me…” Luke 9:23.

These two passages seem to be diametrically opposed, but they are not.

On closer inspection we will find that one tells us to be rid of our burdens and take on The Lords yoke because of it will be easy and light. This let’s us understand that a burden is of the world and a yoke (of Christ) is of God. One burdens us while the other sets us free. This being the case the things we do to alleviate our difficult burdens is to follow the instructions we have been given already, namely the Bible. Each trial and tribulation in our lives can be met by the provisions God gives us in His word, and by the example of His Son’s life.

Here we lay our burdens down to God.

But in discipleship we must follow our Master not only in giving Him our burdens but to following Him carrying our crosses. Each time we obey and carry our cross we become more refined, deeper in our faith, tried and true and tempered to withstand the onslaughts of a sinful planet all around us. And this withstanding is how we take up our cross, we stand and meet the challenge with the tools God has given, and expressing the fruits of the spirit which conquer all darkness. We must learn to stand for firm God.

It is becoming sure-footed and dedicated to traveling His path though it will offer offenses, hurts, trials, etc., but also with the power of God fully available in our lives to meet these challenges and overcome them. When this happens these ‘burdens’ are now simply the stepping-stones to glory they were always intended to be. Why? Because we now are in the living center of what God wants us to do, what God wants us to say and finally what God is expressing through us. He is the answer.

So ‘burdens’ are of the world and are heavy, hurtful and harming to us, in all their destroying nature. ‘Crosses’ are the sacrifices we make that allows for us to be part of the raising the world from it’s gross wickedness into the light of God. It’s a totally different approach, which brings a totally different solution from the same situation. Without God we have no power to meet these things, I know from my experiences these last few days. But when we hand the burdens to God and take up our cross instead, we will walk in the power and majesty of God. We become the solution ourselves in Him.

Now we are truly a NEW creation.

Be blessed, be loved and be at peace,

Jonathan

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