By Tommi Vincent

 

Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 Easier said than done for most. A burden is anything we attempt to carry in life that feels like a heavy load, often as a result of us operating from the space of emotions. Much of the weight we carry are often self-imposed, while others are mounting pressure from extrinsic factors. (i.e. work, family members, society, etc.) The weight of meeting the expectations of others puts us at risk of self-combustion. Here are a few tips for releasing the weights:

 

Tip 1 – Start your day in prayer. Give yourself the opportunity to bring your petitions before the LORD. We are better at making time to exercise and other selfcare activities, which are great. However, nothing compares to spending time with God in prayer. God tells us, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

 

Tip 2 – Pick a scripture to stand on and allow it to be your mantra for the day. One of my favorites is: Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. God has a plan for me to do well. Okay God so what is the plan, because I want to do well? If something harmful to the plan arises, I know it is not God, because He will not harm me. The plan God has for me will inspire me and set up my future. That becomes my litmus test for the day.

 

Tip 3 – Know when you have reached maximum output. This contradicts what we are encouraged to do, work to death. If you do not take heed to anything else, remember God gives us daily bread. When you exceed your daily nourishment, you are pouring from an empty cup. It is a complete disservice to yourself. We often neglect to acknowledge the insurmountable amount of abuse we inflict upon ourselves. Be mindful of the indicators that signal you have reached capacity. My indicator is my mind processing starts to slow. This opposes my normal ability to think crystal clear. At this point I become vulnerable. Time to tap out! Because I know this about myself, I am deliberate on what I am willing and not willing to do with my time. It is important to be intentional about how you use life’s greatest currency, time.

 

Tip 4 – Reject the impulse to compete and measure your success against others. Comparing yourself to others is a death trap and opposes living on purpose. Your target becomes pursuing the purpose of others. We all have our own race to run. Stay focused.

 

Tip 5 – Leave yourself room for processing. Take a pause before making major decisions. You do not want to make decisions based on your emotions. You ever make a decision and regret it before you even finish the conversation? You got caught up. Pump the brakes. You have the right to consider your response. It serves everyone well. Work towards solutions not bandages.

 

Tip 6 – Create healthy boundaries. The boundary is the line of demarcation for your non-negotiables. You will see these clearly during your morning prayer time.

 

Tip 7 – Close your day in prayer. Take a seat and do a recap of your day. Do a play by play with the LORD. You are in it to win it. He is the greatest coach you will ever have. Life is our greatest teacher. This moment of reflection becomes your lesson for the day!