Losing the Weight (of the World)

I have been dealing lately with the issue of feeling very "weighed down" by the world. I hate growing up for many reasons, but most recently, because it means no more naivety. Suddenly, I have the responsibility of knowing exactly what's going on around me - good and bad. I am naturally an empathetic person - not sympathetic, empathetic. I take people's emotions on as my own. I feel what they feel. So naturally, I have felt overwhelmed by just….life. I see a broken world, and it has been very hard, recently, to deal with the sadness I have felt because of that. 

As Christians, I think we all deal with that empathy to some extent. It's hard to live in a world that is not our own. So, how do we deal with sin? I am not talking about temptation, but about the sin that has infiltrated our worlds…that we have to see…that we have to live with. 

*Let me just pause for a moment and say that, in no way, do I want to make myself seem sinless or better than anyone else. We all deal with sin, and I am not really talking about individual sin anyway, as much as I am about how to deal with living in a broken and sad world. *

I have been dealing with this issue for some time, and have only recently realized that it really has to do with spiritual perseverance. Galatians 6:9 says: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." I have been praying and praying, stewing on this subject, and I "happened" upon that verse. I have been missing the big picture! (That happens more than I would like to admit, by the way.) The point is, we cannot let the weight of this world discourage us. We have to persevere and keep doing the work of the Lord, regardless. It is hard. We knew it was going to be hard when we chose to follow the Lord. My problem was: I didn't know all of the different types of "hard." Temptation is just one of the types. 

You see, Satan is smart. He is smart enough to know our weaknesses. Temptation of sin is one way, but living in a world ladened with sin and sadness and anything, really, that doesn't glorify God is another. He, knowing we have a heart for God's will, can take us down by merely showing us a broken world. He knows that will dishearten us. 


This is where our trust in God becomes real. Proverbs 3: 5-6 says this: "Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track." I like this version, because it say "don't try to figure everything out on your own." (I think that translation was created just for me!) We don't have to know the answer to every question, we just have to trust God. We have to trust fully in His plan, and trust fully that everything will work out, according to His plan. That is what we are called to do. 

In order to fight this discouragement, we must be able to trust God, and we must also be able to see the good He is doing. We have to be able to see past this life and trust in God, knowing that this world is not our own. That is how we persevere. We know that this world is temporary - not useless, but temporary. Our eternity comes after this. Similarly, we have to actively see His good works, thanking Him constantly, because in every situation (good or bad,) He can be seen. Even in the hardest of situations, He reveals Himself to us; there is always something to be thankful for.

Obviously, this is an issue I am still working through. It is hard, because I am such a sensitive person…but is necessary to mature, spiritually. These are just the thoughts I have come up with that have helped me, so far. I hope if any of you are in a similar place, that these thoughts will help you stay positive and persevere, too. 

be happy, 

becca