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Need to lighten your load? Consider these two simple strategies.
Too much on your plate
Have you started a week with too much on your plate, worry filling your head with all you needed to accomplish, and no idea how to get it all done?
Ever consider offloading some or all of it to Jesus?
Yeah, me neither. At least not very often, but this week I had another opportunity to do so with encouraging results.
Today I’ll share a few strategies you can implement immediately. That’s what I did.
Two strategies to lighten your load
I came into this week with a lot on my plate. On another occasion, I might have become a bit anxious or worried. This week I took a different approach. I focused on Jesus instead of my full plate.
I want to give you a couple of strategies to help bring your own days into perspective if needed.
Seek His face always and pray continually
Seek Jesus’ face always and pray continually.
Seek His face always.
Pray continually.
The first part comes from the book of 1 Chronicles chapter 16 verse 11 (NIV) in the Old Testament of the Bible. The second passage is from 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 17 (NIV) in the New Testament.
Want an even simpler way to remember this?
Focus on Jesus and pray.
Prayer is connection with God
Now if perpetual prayer isn’t your thing, I want to share something else to consider. I like to think of prayer as an active connection with God. When I’m praying or even just about to pray, I am postured toward God. I’m thinking about Jesus, and am either about to speak – or about to listen.
Speaking to God
For today’s example, I’ll focus on the speaking part. Some of the previous episodes give some insight into the listening side. In this case, I have a problem, or a potential problem, and I’m looking for some assistance. I’m sharing my struggle with Jesus in hopes of receiving a solution.
Simply share your thoughts
New to prayer? Just think of it as communicating with God, sharing your thoughts out loud, on paper, or in the quiet of your heart.
Continuously
So here’s the key to this kind of prayer. It’s continuous. This isn’t the one and done prayer, like running an errand, or checking an item off your list. This is an “at any moment you are sharing your thoughts with God” kind of prayer, letting Him know what’s on your mind whenever you want.
Isn’t that comforting? I don’t know about you, but often if I have something weighing me down it’s a constant barrage of unsettled noise and worry. What I’m worried about stays on my mind most of the day.
Tell God how we’re feeling
Praying constantly means we can keep God up to date with how we are feeling about something. Isn’t it nice to have someone to talk to?
Comforting presence
Like a child on the playground whose parent sits nearby. An occasional glance up and the child makes eye contact, remembers the parent who loves this child deeply and is nearby at all times. A comforting presence.
Call out to Jesus
So if something crops up, we can call out to Jesus. Which leads us right into the first phrase, to seek His face.
When we seek His face, we focus on Jesus.
Focus on Jesus
When we focus on Jesus, we aren’t focused on our problem or struggle.
Recently I found myself momentarily dwelling on an extensive to do list.
I consciously shifted my thoughts to something like, “Hey Jesus, this is too much. Can you hold these for me?”
Share what you feel
Admittedly, I didn’t say those words out loud. What I want you to see is that I said it how I was feeling it. When you’re bearing your heart to Jesus, just share it as you feel it. That’s what the Psalmists did in the Bible, raw emotions and all.
Psalm 25
Take this example from Psalm 25, a Psalm of David addressed to the Lord. From verses 16 and 17 of the New International Version:
“Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
Relieve the troubles of my heart
and free me from my anguish.” Psalm 25:16-17 NIV
So in that moment when I was overwhelmed, I shared how I felt.
Peace
And there it was. A pause. A moment of silence from the onslaught of tasks, responsibilities, and self-imposed expectations.
Instead of stress, I had a moment of peace.
There’s a verse in the Bible about that too, Psalm 46 verse 10.
“Be still and know that I am God.”
Be still.
Pause.
Feel the peace that comes with releasing the burden of whatever was weighing you down.
May you always remember Jesus is ready and able to lighten your load.
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