If It’s Not Light, It’s Not Right! – Part I

Part 1

Most people are lugging an invisible bag of burdens with them all the time, over their shoulder, on their back, dragging along behind them, and it’s full of worries and troubles.  It saps their strength and destroys their joy, because they’re constantly struggling with this bag of burdens. But God never intended for his children to carry heavy burdens.  I’m praying this mini-drama will make it clear that “If it’s not light, it’s not right,”

Jesus told ­us that “In this world we will have trouble.”  So, it should come as no surprise to any of us to discover that we have our share of troubles.  However, Jesus didn’t stop with that dismal prediction.  He added: “Take heart!  I have overcome the world!”  Take heart, be encouraged, cheer up!  Our Savior has overcome the world and its troubles, and that means as his disciples, you and I don’t  have to be burdened down with a heavy load of troubles.

But I look around and see many Christians carrying heavy burdens and problems all the time.  It doesn’t seem that many are aware that Jesus has won the victory.

In fact, too often Christians look like my friend, Brenda, here.

Mary:  Oh, hi, Brenda.  How you doing?  My goodness, what are you carrying there today?  That looks pretty heavy.

Brenda:  (Sounds very tired.)  Yeah, well, these are my burdens I have to carry.  I guess everybody has burdens and troubles, some are heavier than others.  But it’s okay, I can carry mine.

Mary:  Your burdens, huh?  Well, Brenda, it does look heavy.  Come on over. Put it down for awhile.  Let’s talk. 

Brenda:  Well, I’d love to talk but I can’t put it down.  They’re my burdens and I have to carry them.

Mary:  Oh, surely you can put them down for a few minutes.  Just sit your bag right here.

Brenda:  Really, I carry this bag of burdens  all the time.  I take it with me everywhere.  I even sleep with it.  It’s the last thing I think about at night and the first thing I think about in the morning.

Mary:  Well, I can see that you’ve been carrying it a lot lately.  You look exhausted.  But just put it down for a few minutes.

Brenda:  (Sounds of putting down heavy load.)  Okay, for a few minutes.  Whew, it is heavy.  Gotten a lot heavier lately, too.

Mary:  What’s in there, Brenda?  What’s in your bag that’s so heavy to carry?

Brenda:  Well, I don’t usually like to talk about it.  I mean, they’re my burdens and I don’t need to bother you with them.

Mary:  But I’d really like to know.  Tell me about your burdens.

Brenda:  Yeah, well, okay.  Here’s one of them.  It’s called worry, and it gets real heavy at times.

Mary:  Worry – I see.  Well, what in the world are you worrying about?

Brenda:  Well, there’s lots of problems right now.  I worry about my family. You never know what’s going to happen.  Will my children turn out okay?  What about my parents?  Then there’s my job.  Wow, that job worries me.  I mean, if I don’t do it right – I could be fired.  And I worry about my next appraisal.  I really need a raise but I don’t think my boss is going to give me one.   And then, all my bills!  Wow, I really worry about paying my bills.  You can see why I worry so much, Mary, can’t you?

Mary:  Yeah, I’ve had those kinds of worries before.  So, you’re worried about your family and about your job…

Brenda:  And that’s not all.  I have to worry about my relationships, too.  For instance, there’s that woman I work with.  She’d worry anyone to death.  She’s so difficult to get along with, you know what I mean?  And my boss, he’s so hard to please.  I worry about what he’ll think. And then I worry about my health.  If I get sick, what’s going to happen to me?  Oh, I don’t Mary; I just have to worry a lot.  What can I say?  They’re all legitimate worries, right?

Mary:  Well, I don’t . . .

Brenda:  And you want to know what else I’ve got in my bag of burdens?  Here’s another heavy one I have to carry.

Mary:  Guilt.  I see.  You carry a lot of guilt, do you?

Brenda:  Oh, sure.  I mean, I feel guilty about what I’ve done that I shouldn’t have done, what I haven’t done that I should have done.  I feel guilty because I don’t read my Bible or pray enough.  I feel guilty because my house is not always spotless and I’m not a perfect mother.  I feel guilty about my lack of caring for other people.  I feel guilty about my past.  I feel guilty when anything goes wrong on the job.

Mary:  Wow, Brenda, that’s a lot of guilt to carry around.  You take that with you all the time?

Brenda:  Sure, I have to.  It’s my burden, you know.

Mary:  Well, I don’t know about that, but I do know this, that guilt is very heavy.  No wonder you look so bushed.  I hope that’s all the burdens you carry!

Brenda:  Good night, no!  I wish it were.  No, here’s another burden.  Boy, this one really gets to me sometimes – Fear.

Mary:  You mean in addition to all that worry and guilt, you’re also carrying fear around with you all the time?  Oh, Brenda, that’s too much.

Brenda:  You’re telling me!  But what am I gonna do?  I have all this fear all the time.

Mary:  What are you afraid of, Brenda?

Brenda:  It might be easier to say what I’m not afraid of.  I’m afraid of the future – what if there’s another war, what if the stock market crashes again?  I’m afraid people won’t like me, I’m afraid God will punish me severely for my past, I’m afraid of failing, I’m afraid of being alone. . .

Mary:  Oh, for goodness sake, Brenda, all that fear.  You say you take all that to bed with you at night?

Brenda:  Oh, sure, I sleep with this whole bag of burdens.  Oh, and that’s another thing I’m afraid of – the dark!

Mary:  Hmmm. . . that’s an awful lot of fear that you carry all the time.  I don’t know how you manage.

Brenda:  It’s not easy, let me tell you!  But what are you going to do, they’re my burdens – I have to carry them.

Mary:  I hope there’s nothing else in that bag of yours.

Brenda:  Well, there is one other burden I carry around most of the time.  I’d sure like to get rid of this one, but seems impossible.  I drag around a lot of low self-esteem.

Mary:  Low self-esteem is very heavy, Brenda.  You mean you really don’t think very highly of how God has made you and who you are in Christ?

Brenda:  Well, I just don’t see myself as being very significant in any way.  I mean, I don’t speak or sing, I haven’t written a book – I just don’t have a lot of talents or gifts.  Usually when I try to do something, it doesn’t work out so good.  So, I have to carry this low self-esteem with me.  Some days it’s heavier than others.

Mary:  Brenda, my dear, those are very heavy burdens you’re carrying.

Brenda:  Yeah, well, I know, but they’re mine.  And I better get them back together here and get going.  I didn’t mean to dump all these burdens on you.

Mary:  Brenda, wait, don’t put all those back in your burden bag.  You can’t keep on carrying all that worry and guilt and fear and low self-esteem.

Brenda:  (With exasperation) Well, what do you suggest?  Who’s going to carry them if I don’t?  They’re my troubles, my burdens, and I don’t know how to get rid of them.

Mary:  Oh, Brenda, do I have good news for you.  Did you know you don’t have to carry those burdens with you?

Brenda:  What do you mean?  Everybody has a burden to carry, some are just worse than others.  So, I have to carry mine.

Mary:  But, Brenda, that’s just the point.  You don’t have to carry your burdens.  You can exchange that bag of heavy, ugly burdens for this lovely bag, very light, and very easy to carry.

Brenda:  Oh, sure – and you believe in the tooth fairy, too, right?  What do you mean I can exchange my burden for that light one?  Who’s going to carry my burdens if I don’t?

Mary:  Well, let me read it to you right from Scripture:

Matthew 11:28-29:  Jesus said, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  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.

Did you ever see that Scripture before, Brenda?

Brenda:  Yeah, well sure I know that verse.  But. . .

Mary:  But like so many of us, you never realized how it applied to you.  Look at it, Brenda.  Jesus said that those people who have heavy burdens can exchange theirs for his.  And the neat thing is, his burden is light.  Remember this:   If the burden’s not light, it’s not right!

A Christian should never carry heavy burdens, because we can always exchange our heavy, ugly burdens for his.  Jesus can carry your burdens for you, if you’ll just put them down and exchange them for his.  Wouldn’t you like to do that?

Brenda:  But, Mary, that’s just too good to be true.  I mean, I deserve these heavy burdens.

Mary:  Oh, Brenda, if we all got what we deserve, things would really be awful.  You’re dealing with a God of mercy and grace, Brenda.  He doesn’t give us what we deserve.  He gives out of his heart of love and kindness, and he’s most willing to exchange your burdens for his.

Brenda:  You say I have to exchange my burden for his?  Well, what’s his burden like?

Mary:  Well, for starters, it’s light.  The burden that Jesus gives you to carry is never too heavy.  When you carry Jesus’ burden, you carry peace, joy, forgiveness, love – and they’re light and easy to carry.

Brenda:  You mean, all I have to do is just exchange it—leave mine here and take that one with me?

Mary:  Exactly.  You get the picture, Brenda.

Brenda:  But how do I exchange it, Mary?  That just seems too easy to be true.

Mary:  Brenda, exchange simply means “hand it over” – “give it up” – “drop it.”  You have to make a conscious decision that you will let it go – by faith.  It takes faith on your part, and a set of your will to let go of that burden and choose not to carry it.  You consciously relinquish your heavy burden and choose to believe that Jesus will keep his word and exchange it for you.

Remember, too, this is an act of your will, not your emotions.  Do it by faith, regardless of what your emotions and feelings are saying to you.

Now, if you’ll drop that worry, you can have this peace in its place. And if you’ll let go of your guilt, Jesus will give you forgiveness instead.  You know, Brenda, Jesus says because you accepted him as your Savior, you are no longer condemned by him, and no one else can condemn you.  You don’t need to carry that guilt any more.

Brenda:  Wait, Mary.  Are you saying I can give Jesus my ugly heavy burdens and take his instead?  I give him worry, he gives me peace?  I give him guilt, he gives me forgiveness?

Mary:  That’s exactly right, Brenda.  And  here—here’s another one to exchange for your fear.  Leave that heavy awful fear here and Jesus will give you joy and comfort in its place.  And if you’ll give up that low self-esteem, Jesus will give you his assurance and confidence.

Brenda:  Mary, this seems too good to be true.  This new bag is really light.  I don’t mind carrying it at all!  Are you sure this is all I have to do – exchange the burden?

Mary:  Yes, Brenda.  Remember the verses we read.  Jesus invites you to come to him.  He wants you to exchange your burden for his.  He never intended for you to carry a heavy burden.  Don’t forget, IF IT’S NOT LIGHT, IT’S NOT RIGHT!

Brenda:  If it’s not light, it’s not right.  Okay, I’ll remember.  This is the biggest bargain I’ve ever seen.  Just leave this old bag of burdens here, and take this new light one instead!  Well, here I go.

Mary:  Good.

Brenda:  Oh, you know, maybe I better just take one of those with me – I’ll just take the fear with me.

Mary:  No, Brenda, it’s a total exchange.  Your complete burden for his.  Are you willing to make a complete exchange?

Brenda:  Well, okay, if you’re sure.

Mary:  I’m sure.

Brenda:  Wow, this is great.

Mary:  Right and remember:  If the burden’s not light, it’s not right!

Well, can you relate to Brenda?  Have you been carrying some of those burdens?  You know it in your head; now translate it into action.  Just like our friend, Brenda, you need to identify those burdens you are lugging around all the time that you have no right or need to carry.  Jesus is our burden-carrier, and he has tenderly invited you to drop your heavy burden, and pick up his light one.  Why don’t you determine to do just that right now?

Picture yourself with that heavy bag of burdens, dropping them at the feet of Jesus, and taking instead his light and beautiful burden, which is easy to carry.