Where do you go when you’ve had enough?  Do you find yourself going the T.V., the pillow, the garden, couch, internet or medicine cabinet?  If you do these are indications that you have not yet surrendered to the Lord and are demonstrating the capacity to be overwhelmed with worldly sensory input.  Your attempts to slow them, reduce them, cope with them or escape them indicate you trying to deal with the problems of the world on your own.  Going to God is not the final destination or last resort when off loading or dealing with problems and data overload.

It is meant to be your first stop on the pathway to peace, for when you leave your troubles, burdens, cares, worries, sins and shame at the throne you will be given that wonderful peace that surpasses worldly understanding.  So stop trying to be so darn strong and learn from the outset how to diminish, dilute or do away with your cares and worries before the multi-step investigation or journey that would end up at the cross eventually.  God is there waiting upon you to give you rest and free you from your weariness.  Why would you make that your last stop?

I must be honest with myself when it is apparent that I am avoiding God.  Why?  Am I ashamed of needing help, well that is prideful enough to indicate that I need to spend more time with him to be free of that sin?  Am I thinking that I am troubling him with the small stuff that I should be able to handle myself?  Have I determined that I am going to do it on my own and only go to him for the things are tough or need a miracle?  Am I going to him only when it has gotten so bad that my life is falling apart, disregarding him when things are good and running to him in the bad times?

When I avoid the Lord it is generally because I wanted to believe that I was much better off now than I had expected upon seeing my concern for these worldly cares.  Rather than admit that I am struggling with the same problem for the 95th time, I again try and bottle it up inside or sweat it out at the gym, instead of taking time to spend time with the Lord and be absolutely freed of these burdens.

It seems that the idea of free will choice may be calamitous in these circumstances as I choose the most difficult method possible to deal with issues that should have been dispensed with immediately.  How close am I to the Father, that when I have troubles I would be reticent to share them with my Daddy?  Seems rather silly to me now but in those instances I still find the time to sit there and have a pity party for myself or carry around burdens looking for a convenient place at which to relieve myself of them.  I don’t make much sense sometimes.

I trust Him. He never fails. He never leaves me standing there with it all upon myself.  If He wants me to deal with something He gives me guidance, hope and healing.  He never forsakes me, always answering my prayers and calls for help.  There is nothing of which He is not yet aware in my life, so it makes no sense to believe that it is somehow secret set of problems meant for my solutions. He told me to bring them to Him for assistance and that He would give me rest.

At some point I must believe these things and stop trying to do it on my own or else I need to stop whining each time I fail to get rid of or escape my cares and worries.  I am not alone and never have been. At what point may I claim to have faith when I do not take the Lord’s promises to heart enough to respond in recommended fashion?  Wow this reflection stuff always hurts, but in a good way.  Time to drop that bag of burdens at the foot of the throne and ask the Lord for change because it is clear I will never, ever, ever, get there on my own.

In Jesus’ name I pray for my own understanding, release and surrender to His Kind and Gentle Will for my life.