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“I have learned that the worries we do not cast upon God become weights that crush our spirit.”
—John Wesley
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Does life feel heavy? Pray this.
One of my favorite stories from Greek mythology is about Atlas, the titan who’s often pictured as a giant man, muscles straining, as he holds the world on his shoulders.
Maybe you’ve seen his famous statue in the Rockefeller Center. But here’s what most people miss about Atlas—carrying the world on his shoulders wasn’t a heroic act. It was his punishment.
The Burden We Were Never Meant to Carry
That picture, the weight of the world on our shoulders, as dramatic as it is, feels familiar, doesn’t it? Many of us are living the same way—trying to hold everything together, trying to carry all the burdens of life, trying to keep the world from falling apart.
But that weight was never meant to sit on your shoulders.
When I see the statue of Atlas, I can’t help but think of another image—Jesus, arms stretched out on the cross. But where Atlas was condemned to hold up the heavens, Jesus chose to take on the weight of the world to set us free.
Faith is Letting Go of Control
The life of faith isn’t about proving how strong we are. It’s about surrendering to the One person who can carry it all. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, “I die daily.” In other words, he dies to the illusion that he is God.
My friend, faith is about releasing what we were never meant to carry and trusting God with it. Faith is letting go of control.
Respond
This week, anytime you feel pressured to take on the weight of the world, anytime you feel crushed by what’s beyond your control, simply pray, “You are God, I am not.”
Let that prayer remind you of two things,
1.) No one expects you to be God. Intimacy with God (and others) is forged as we share our burdens, so be honest about your limitations.
2.) You don’t need to be perfect to qualify for God’s help. You just need to surrender your strength . . . or lack thereof.
Closing Prayer
You are God
I am not.
May Your grace
Be my lot. Amen.
Praying with you,
Addison Bevere
P.S. I mention this each time because we always have new people—hello, if that’s you!— but if you don’t have the Words with God book yet, be sure to grab it from Amazon or the Messenger Store.
