Too Heavy to Carry

Read: Psalm 38:1-4

Grounded and bored, Mia slouched in the chair as she watched her baby sister play. Little Riley, growing tired of her blocks, made her way to Mia’s backpack that leaned heavily against the brick hearth. Riley picked up the straps and tried to lift the weight of Mia’s bag—an impossible feat, since Riley was barely able to walk on her own.

As Riley began to cry in frustration, Mia knelt down to help. Removing the books from her bag, Mia thought her sister would be relieved, but instead she grew angry. She cried harder and tried to return the books to their place.

Irritated with her sister, Mia huffed. “You can’t lift it, Riley!” She pulled the bag away, only to be met with an all-out tantrum from Riley.

Mom rushed into the room. “What is it now, Mia?”

“Why is it my fault?” Mia asked. “I was trying to help.”

Mom gathered up Riley in her arms. Once Riley was calm, Mia spoke up. “I don’t want to cause trouble, Mom, but I do. Even when I’m trying to help I end up in trouble.”

Mom sat Riley back down to play and turned to look at Mia. “Sometimes I put blame on you when I shouldn’t, Mia, and I’m sorry. I mess up too.”

Mia sighed. “I just want to be good enough so you and Jesus and everyone else will be happy with me, but I don’t know how to make that happen.”

“Oh, Mia,” Mom said. “Every time you try to be good enough on your own, you’re trying to lift a burden you can never carry.”

Mia looked down at her backpack and imagined herself as a baby trying to lift it. “Like Riley trying to lift a bag full of books?” she asked.

Mom nodded. “When you trusted Jesus to save you, He made you good in God’s eyes by giving you His righteousness, or goodness. You don’t have to try to be good enough. Instead, the good we do comes from a place of knowing that He loves us just as we are and gives us all we need to show His love to others. Because of Him, you’re always good enough.”

–Maggie J. Sifuentes

How about you? Do you ever feel like you can never be good enough? Does trying to do everything right feel like a burden you can’t carry? Let Jesus carry the weight for you. When you trust in Him, He gives you His goodness in exchange for your sin. As you rest in His love and depend on Him to help you show it to others, your efforts to help and serve will be a joy, not a burden. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?)

Today’s key verse: 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 (NLT)

Today’s key thought: Jesus makes you good enough