By Cathy Ballantine
Have you made a New Year’s Resolution? I don’t usually make them, but this year I did. I planned from the end of 2019, to lose weight in 2020. I know… who hasn’t made that resolution? I was determined to this year to succeed. I made a starting date; I had a mindset and I started out and haven’t looked back. I’m pleased to say that this is the longest ever new years resolution that I’ve kept and I’m winning in the weight loss!
I do my fruit and vegetable shopping at a local greengrocer. I dropped in the other day to get my weekly stash of fresh food. I grabbed a bag of potatoes and as I felt the weight of the bag in my hands, I had a thought. The amount of weight I have lost so far is the same as 3 bags of potatoes! I was quite astounded as I looked at 3 bags of potatoes. No one would carry around 3 bags of potatoes willingly, yet I did, and I still have more than that in my body.
Those bags of potatoes are such a burden. They weigh us down and keep us from doing things that we want to do; they make us feel bad about ourselves and wear us down. Our spiritual and emotional burdens do the same things to us. They drag us down and take the joy of our what we do.
The past couple of months I’ve been burdened by my roles in some of the ministries I’m involved in. It made me feel resentful and unhappy and there was no joy in what I was doing. It had become a burden to me to do these things that I once loved.
Despite my unhappiness, I still clung to what I was doing, not wanting to let them go, feeling like I had to stick it out and do what God had called me to do. I believe God was shifting me towards a new focus, but I was stubbornly holding on to those bags of potatoes.
As I prayed and shared with my feelings with my Koinonia (see what I did there?), I gradually got to a point where I could let it go. As I released the bags of potatoes, I felt lighter and happier. I had peace that I was doing the right thing and now can focus on the ministries that God wants me to focus on.
Hebrews 12:1 says“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” (NIV)
I was so easily entangled in the sin of holding on to my bags of potatoes when God wanted me to let them go. The bags of potatoes were causing me to be behave in a sinful manner and in truth, distancing me from my God and his people.
What burdens are weighing you down? How many bags of potatoes are you holding on to and trying to run the race God has set before you? Imagine how much better you can run the race if you drop those bags of potatoes and leave them behind.
Don’t bear your burdens alone. Share and pray with someone you trust. If you would like to reach out to the QBW/Anew team, we would love to talk with you or direct you to someone who can help you. Please contact us via “Join the Discussion”. Any comments made there are private until they are approved for public.
Cathy Ballantine (aka CathyBee) is a member of the Qld Baptist Women Executive. She is excited to work on the QBW values of Network, Nurture and Equip and connect with the Baptist Women of Qld.
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