Theology Blog

“We must distinguish between the burden bearing that is right and the burden-bearing that is wrong. We ought never to bear the burden of sin or of doubt but there are burdens places on us by God which He does not intend to lift off, He wants us to roll them back on Him. If we undertake work for God and get out of touch with Him, the sense of responsibility will be overwhelmingly crushing; but if we roll back on God that which He has put on us, He takes away the sense of responsibility but bringing the relaisation of Himself. Many worker have gone out with high courage and fine impulses, but with no intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ, and before long they are crushed.” Oswald Chambers (Utmost for His Highest-classic edition, April 13).

This is a great piece by the brilliant Oswald Chambers that has caused continual reflection in me that has been very challenging. There is a lot of meat here, but the gist theologically that I wrestle with the most is the reminder of where our burdens belong. Some burdens should not even be considered burdens, they are just thrown away. Other burdens are more about our own needs and brokenness than they are actually burdens. These are the burdens of personality and choices not lead by God. Taking away the burdens I have described leaves only the burdens that God desires to carry for and with us. We will always be overwhelmed if we try to carry these (or really any burdens) on our own, we will be crushed. What does it mean theologically to give our burdens to God (or back to God as Chambers suggests)? What does it mean practically as Christ-followers? As leaders? I suspect that we often keep our burdens because we assume they are ours alone, or that we can handle them. We keep burdens because of our guilt, fear or need for control. If we are to give all the things that should truly be burdens to God, what does that leave us? It leaves us with nothing but ourselves, God’s creation and the Triune God Himself-not such a bad notion after all.