God's Work Not Your Weight
There is a
quiet freedom that enters your life when you finally recognize the difference
between what belongs to you and what belongs to God. Many of us live
exhausted—not because life is impossible, but because we keep trying to do
God’s work with human strength. When we attempt to fix what only God can heal,
control what only God can command, or carry what only God can lift, we
inevitably end up anxious, frustrated, and spiritually drained.
Scripture
consistently reminds us that certain battles, burdens, and breakthroughs belong
to God alone. This truth is woven throughout the entire biblical story, almost
as if God knew how easily we would slip into the habit of managing life in our
own strength. Whenever we step into roles that belong to Him—Healer, Provider,
Protector, Sustainer—we pick up weights our souls were never designed to hold.
There is a
unique kind of exhaustion that comes from trying to mend what only God can
restore. Some wounds are too deep, some situations too tangled, some hearts too
hardened for human hands to fix. God alone declares, “I am the Lord, who heals
you” (Exodus 15:26). Healing is His work. Our role is trust, obedience, and
surrender.
The same is
true when we try to control what only God can command. We attempt to manipulate
outcomes, predict the future, or pry open doors God has intentionally kept
shut. Yet Scripture reminds us, “A person’s steps are directed by the Lord”
(Proverbs 20:24). You cannot control what God has already claimed authority
over. Trying to do so only leads to anxiety because you’re attempting to steer
a ship you were never meant to captain.
And when we
try to carry what only God can lift, we become spiritually depleted. Life’s
heaviest burdens—uncertainty, grief, provision, purpose—were never meant to
rest on human shoulders. God invites us to hand them over: “Cast your burden on
the Lord, and He will sustain you” (Psalm 55:22). Notice the promise: He
will sustain you. Not your strength. Not your strategy. Not your striving. He
will.
When we
insist on carrying everything ourselves, we end up overwhelmed because we are
functioning outside of our spiritual design. We are branches trying to act like
the vine. Jesus makes the distinction unmistakably clear: “Apart from Me you
can do nothing” (John 15:5). Nothing—no breakthrough, no transformation, no
lasting peace—comes from human effort alone. It comes from abiding in the One
who holds all things together.
So when you
feel anxious, frustrated, or spiritually depleted, it may be a sign that you’ve
picked up something that belongs to God. The weight you feel is not a sign of
failure—it’s a sign of misalignment. It’s God whispering, “This is My work,
not your weight.”
God never
designed us to shoulder the full weight of life’s heaviest realities. From the
beginning, He positioned Himself as the One who carries His people. He never
asked us to be self-sufficient. Instead, He repeatedly invites us to lean,
depend, trust, and rest in Him. “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who
daily bears our burdens” (Psalm 68:19).
One of the
heaviest burdens we try to carry is uncertainty. We attempt to predict, plan,
and control every detail of our future, even though God never asked us to
figure out tomorrow. He simply asked us to trust Him with it. “Trust in the
Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs
3:5). Leaning on your own understanding is exhausting. Leaning on God is
freeing.
Uncertainty
is uncomfortable because we crave clarity, timelines, and guarantees. We want
to know what’s coming, when it’s coming, and how everything will work out. But
God often leads His people step-by-step, where the next step is visible but the
full path is not. That is intentional. Uncertainty is not evidence of God’s
absence—it is evidence of His sovereignty. The unknown is not your enemy; it is
God’s domain. It is the space where He does His deepest work, because
uncertainty forces you to release your illusion of control and lean into His
wisdom.
Sometimes
God withholds clarity because you’re not ready for the answer—or the answer is
not ready for you. What feels like delay is often divine protection. God sees
the whole picture; you see only a frame. Throughout Scripture, God reveals His
power and faithfulness in moments where His people had no idea what to do next:
Israel at the Red Sea, Elijah at the dried-up brook, Ruth in a foreign land,
the disciples in the storm, Mary at the empty tomb. In every case, uncertainty
became the stage for God’s glory.
Grief is
another weight too heavy for human strength. Whether it comes from loss,
disappointment, or heartbreak, grief can crush the spirit. But God never
intended for us to walk through sorrow alone. He identifies Himself as the One
who comforts, heals, and restores. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and
saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). You don’t have to hold
yourself together. God holds you.
Provision is
another burden we often try to carry ourselves. We feel responsible for
providing for our families, our future, our needs. But Scripture reminds us
that God—not our job, not our hustle, not our anxiety—is the Provider. “My God
will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory” (Philippians
4:19). Provision is God’s responsibility. Faithfulness is yours.
And then
there is purpose. Many people feel drained because they’re trying to create
their own purpose, force their own path, or manufacture their own calling. But
purpose is not self-made—it is God-given. “The Lord will fulfill His purpose
for me” (Psalm 138:8). You don’t have to push your way into destiny. God leads
you into it.
Through
every burden, every unknown, every moment of weakness, God’s message remains
the same: Let Me carry what I designed you to release. Let God be God.
Let Him hold the weight. Let Him sustain you. And may your soul finally breathe
again.
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Pastor Godwin, FBC Danvers
Amen Pastor!!
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