86/365: Make Time To Lighten Your Load

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:29-30

Cleaning your closet and tossing out the unused baggage can free you from unecessary burdens.

Making space in your life doesn't require you to fill it with shiny new distractions. Leave room for God to fill the gaps, quiet moments, and empty spaces.

GO DEEPER: Galatians 5: 13-18

NEXT STEP: Finding extra time on your hands? Use those minutes and hours to soak in God and push out the noise and clutter.

Kevin Miller

on 03/27/2023 at 07:05 PM

This is a good one for me. I frequently get so busy doing things I doing take the time to pray or recognize God. Not that I don’t want to I just simply forget. I have to slow down and realize what’s going on sometimes.

Ethan Rogers

on 03/27/2023 at 04:14 PM

Through a thorough spiritual housecleaning, I have learned so many truths about myself. Naturally, God had to help me do this. It was an eye-opening experience that was necessary to keep on this journey of spiritual growth. Fear engulfed me as I dug up horrifying, old events and situations where, ultimately, I was at fault. I had to experience the loss and destruction so I could build a better man in myself and to help others escape the terrors of addiction. This was the cross I had to bare. When I called my brother again from jail, I told him that there was an emergency with my wife. He said that there was always an emergency with us, and he wasn't going to help this time. I was pissed for years. I had to clear the wreckage of my past and realize that I caused so much of the failures, that my resentments were felonious. God helps me forgive myself and others. I can then move on to more enlightenment and a better way of living with God's direction and love. Service to my fellow man, spreading good will instead of stepping on the toes of my fellows while they retaliate. Peace and serenity are my goals, to share that with the world. Thanks be to Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

KJE

on 03/27/2023 at 03:25 PM

Amen Ashley! Thanks for that!

Ashley Jarvis

on 03/27/2023 at 02:17 PM

I remember a time where my mind could take me in a ride for hours, and sitting in a quite room with no distractions was terrifying. A mind I had no control over, taking me to the past or future obsessing over things I have no control over. It’s no wonder I drank… prayer and mediation helped develop that discipline of being able to notice when my mind begins to wonder, or go into some reaction mode, so that I’m able to refocus my mind into here and now. I genuinely look forward to each morning, and getting my mind set in Gods word, ready for whatever the World may throw my way today. Some days enough comes, I must find a break or two in order to restart my day. Recovery taught me you can restart a day as many times as you need, and to not hesitate removing yourself from situations that overwhelm and overpower your current ability to maintain serenity. As time has passed, and weeks turned into months into a couple years, there are very few scenarios where my serenity can be threatened. It’s like any other skill, practice and perseverance, prayer and meditation, amen 🙏🏻

Brandon Pembleton

on 03/27/2023 at 02:07 PM

This makes me think about meditation. The purpose of which is simply to learn to be a gentle observer of thoughts and physical sensations. Learning to see thoughts come and go and then asking God for help for each one that passes through the focusing back in on His light and the breath. It has taught me to be an observer of my mind outside of mediation. To recognize intrusive thoughts or thoughts maligned to God and immediately ask God for the assist with them. Asking God to reveal what do I actually have control of here - usually its only my own actions and the rest I must always ask God to assist me with. This helps me immensely not feel so burdened. I am so grateful to God for directing my life in a way that I learned this. I love you God amen 🙏

Boyce Moses

on 03/27/2023 at 01:46 PM

We have stuff and needs in our lives. Stuff is worldly things we really don’t have to have, but needs are the things God supplies to us. Unfortunately, it seems we get more stuff than needs in our lives. Time to do an inventory. Love you Jesus! 💛💜💙🧡

Elliott

on 03/27/2023 at 01:20 PM

I have learned that the more materialistic things that I have in my life, the less room that I have for God. getting rid of old things (stuff that no one needs) was/is the only way that I could let God in. I also went through a big change. I am living in a 700 square ft apartment, from a 5 bed room house to a 2 bed room apartment. All I have room for today is for God's love and nothing else; I am much happier in this life because of letting go and letting God guide me. All that I had to do is get rid of temptations. Finding out what I truly need to live a happy life is by helping others. Not by having a big house, tv, clothes, cars. All the room that I have today is for Jesus Christ.

michael f vinning

on 03/27/2023 at 12:42 PM

Not sure why but it cut more than half of my comment out and no way I can retype all of that…oh well, that’s about right…

michael f vinning

on 03/27/2023 at 12:39 PM

Oof, this one cuts deep! I remember as a young boy, b4 my innocence was ripped away, I used to sit still for hours just reading

Scott Beebe

on 03/27/2023 at 12:15 PM

I’ve learned over time that I don’t have to be doing something in order to enjoy life, I can sit still and know that God is and always will be in control. It’s not about me today, but it’s definitely about others.

Tim

on 03/27/2023 at 12:07 PM

Thank you Tommy for sharing each day your thoughts on the passage.

Tommy Williamson

on 03/27/2023 at 11:32 AM

As my family and I began packing to make the cross country move two years ago we began to clean a lot of stuff we had accumulated over the years. We have several car loads of stuff to a thrift store beside us, tossed a lot of stuff in the dumpster, had stuff hauled to the dump, held yard sales and even sold over a ton of rough gem and mineral specimens. As we started unpacking everything into out new house we soon recovered that we had not cleaned out nearly enough to be able to get everything we had moved from a 3,100 sqft house into a house that is less than half that size. So we are still gathering stuff up to sale and give away. Sadly many times this happens in our spiritual life just like it does in our physical life. We let things pile in the spiritual instead of saying Lord please help me through this or with this and then truly laying it down at His feet and letting go of it. When we lay something at Jesus feet remember this very old saying “Let go, Let God”. When we try to hold on to it and let go completely we just add to our burden by playing tug of war with God.

86/365: Make Time To Lighten Your Load

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