Scripture

Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7

Observation

There is some weight on us that is good for us. There is other weight that we are not designed to carry. Healthy is the person that knows the difference.

Some weight in life confines us. Like a parent’s hand on a child, something  holds us back. We imagine that this is a bad thing. But our Parent knows that this is for our best. It is all in how we interpret the weight of pressure that comes from the hand. The hand that restrains us is also the hand that loves us. The change comes when we interpret that hand as love. Then the restraint becomes a pleasant thing, for the holding back is a sign of God’s personal interest in us.

Other weight in life will crush the life out of us. This is the weight we are not designed to carry. It contains the worries about tomorrow, our fears of what others think, financial concerns and more. There is only one solution for that weight. It must be thrown away. But the question is, Where is “away”? Often times, it seems that we toss our concerns only to have them roll back onto us. This is because we did not case our concerns upon the Lord instead upon something or someone else. Only when we toss our cares on the Lord do they never return.

Application
I don’t want excess baggage in life. I want to toss what is not mine to keep.

Prayer
Father, today, I cast onto you what is not mine to keep. And yet I learn to love the weight of your restraining hnad for you are in this. Amen.