Burdens are often seen as limitations that hold us back from the fullness of life. But such limitations might also be the path into a deeper life we would’ve missed otherwise. Our prayer is not necessarily for God to remove our suffering, but for the eyes to see how his grace is blessing us all the same. The difficulty we’re trying to escape may be the very ground of our anointing.
Certainly, Joseph would’ve preferred not to have been sold into slavery. But it was his slavery that positioned him for his future leadership and role in saving many. And it’s likely Saul was annoyed in searching for his father’s donkeys that had wandered away. But it was through this inconvenience that he met Samuel and was anointed king. Even as Paul prayed for his thorn in the flesh to be removed, it was through this thorn that he understood the sufficiency of God’s grace, which became theology for us.
Our burden might be dealing with a difficult child, financial hardships, or a physical ailment. Or perhaps it’s a regret, a fear, or a story we wish had unfolded differently. Of course, a part of us would love to be free from such heartaches, as this is just being human.
Yet faith reminds us that this burden might not be random. And like the saints of old, our duty is to learn how we might engage it faithfully instead of merely trying to escape it – allowing it to shape us and discover God’s blessing on the other side. What if what we see as a limitation is God’s initiation – maturing our strength to serve and bless others?
To be sure, faith is not pretending our burden is light. And we must be kind to ourselves as we endure. At the same time, a deeper trust is forged in us – keeping us anchored in the truth that our suffering is not wasted.
Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash
