Knowing God - Matthew 11:28

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Your Name is COMFORTER

Mighty God, wherever I am weary or carrying heavy burdens,

answer my prayers for you are my sustainer.

Give him your burdens. Let him carry your worries.

 

Jesus said, "Come to me,

all you that are weary

and are carrying heavy burdens,

and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

 

When I hear the word "comforter," I think of autumn leaves and smoke from the chimney. This is the glorious time of the year when the temperature turns, and sloths like me have an excuse to lay on the couch and cuddle up in a blanket. Indeed, hunkered down, wrapped in a thick, down comforter!

 

I'm a guy. I carry my own burdens. And other forms of "comfort" are for children. Right?

 

Wrong!!!

 

Think about it this way: Women's bodies -- with child-birth and other perils -- go through so much more trauma than men's bodies ... and yet women live, on average, four years longer than us guys. How come? It's because Satan's lies are very clever. He says "Men, pick yourselves up by your own bootstraps, carry you're own burdens, and quit whining, because comfort isn't manly." 

 

Well, I think it's past time to turn that around ...

• What if we said, instead, that ... Work is manly, working hard is heroic, and weariness might just be the natural fruit of boldness.
• What if we said, instead, that ... Carrying heavy burdens is a sign of strength, and weight lifting and burden bearing are signs of brute force and backbone. 
• What if we said, instead, that ... Illness and death charge at us and our families like Trojan soldiers, and cool water and rest are the trophies of the valiant.
• What if we said, instead, that ... Letting someone carry our burdens is teamwork and commaraderie among fellow warriors.

Soldiering through life is brave and tiresome. But our Crucified Captain says, "I see how hard you're working, and I simply want to journey alongside of you -- carrying a piece of the load as a fellow warrior, giving you a cool cup of comfort when your tired and thirsty, taking his turn at the nightwatch so you can get some sleep."

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who'll take

a cool cup of living water

any day

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I like to be comfortable.  Like pastor I enjoy snuggling in a blanket on a cool day.  I even have a favorite pillow that I have had for years (since I was a toddler).  It is what I cling to when I am troubled. It has absorbed millions of my tears. my screams. even my laughter.  I have trouble giving or even sharing my burdens with Christ.  I think that they are mine ... I did something to deserve them. earn them ... thus I must be the one to carry them.  Recently I was able to give some of my burdens to Christ.  To open my fists and let him help so I "can get some sleep."  However, lately, I have been returning to old and familiar ways and have felt my fingers slowly curling around my burdens again.  Giving my burdens to christ was so freeing. Peaceful. right. But we can't do it alone.  We need to rely on Christ. And ask other travelers to help with our burdens when needed.