How much can you handle?

It often isn’t the size of our burdens that wears us out, but what we do with them that has the greatest impact on our lives. Consider the following story …

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching a stress management seminar. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they would be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, the psychologist asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?”

Answers called out ranged from 8 to 20 ounces.

The psychologist replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter; what does matter is how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

Then the psychologist explained, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed and incapable of doing anything.”

What do you do with the burdens of life that you carry? Jesus encouraged us to give them to Him right away, so that we don’t paralyze ourselves with something we are too weak to bear …

“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest …” Matthew 11:28.

The Apostle Paul instructed us to help others who are burdened, “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ,” Galatians 6:2.

What are you carrying around with you now that is wearing you down? What are you going to do with it?

Scotty