Liz’s Morning Devotional based upon Upper Room
February 15, 2022
Read Matthew 11:28-30
28 “Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. 29 Put on my yoke, and learn from me. I’m gentle and humble. And you will find rest for yourselves. 30 My yoke is easy to bear, and my burden is light.”
Good Morning! Lay down your burdens at the foot of the cross.
My children describe my drive to accomplish things as my midwest sensibility. For as long as I can remember, I have placed very high expectations on myself. I even struggled with some episodes of perfectionism during my youth. Perhaps, the desire for perfection still sneaks in from time to time especially when it comes to anything upon which a grade is placed.
With God’s help, I am slowly learning to lay some of these burdens down. Through Christ and the Holy Spirit working overtime within me, I am working to give myself grace and accept my weaknesses and imperfections. I have become more aware of those times when I allow the process to get in the way of the need. God doesn’t ask us to have the better technique or to accomplish the most, God simply asks us to do all we can as we are led by the joy and love in our hearts.
It’s okay to admit our struggles, our imperfections not only to God but admit them to ourselves as well. I can’t count how many times that I have said I’ve got this and I don’t need help that resulted in failure on some level. As I said, this is a slow, beautiful (sometimes painful) process, as I learn to lay all of my burdens down. The good news is that we don’t need to struggle on our own because God is there to support us every step of our journey.
Lay your burden down, lay your burden down
Take your troubled soul, your tired mind
And lay your burden down
Lay your burden down, get your feet on solid ground
Take your worries to the foot of the cross, and lay your burden down
Lay your burden down, lay your burden down
Take your weary life, your heavy load, and lay your burden down
Lay your burden down, get your feet on solid ground
Take your failures to the foot of the cross, and lay your burden down.
Chuck Girard 1975
Loving God, Thank You for loving us. The struggles in this life are real even when we try to convince ourselves that we’ve got this thing called life by showing the world how strong we are. Help us accept Your grace to let you take control. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: When I am weighed down by self-criticism, I will remember to be gentle like Jesus.
Lay down your burdens! Pastor Liz
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