Invited
We don't like imposing on people and we don't like being a burden. While that can be about being considerate, it is often also about our pride because we want to appear strong and self-sufficient. There was a stage in my spiritual journey where I felt guilty about coming to God with too many prayers about my needs. (I called them "gimmee" prayers). I would happily pray for others, but I found it hard to pray about my own needs.There is a fine balance here. On one side there is always the risk of treating God like a vending machine, praying only when we need something. But the other side is that we have lost sight of the immensity of God's love and generosity.
There's the comical, but hard-hitting story, of the guy with a very heavy backpack who was walking along the road when a flatbed truck driver stopped to offer him a lift. Once the man had climbed onto the flatbed and they started travelling, the truck-driver looked in his rear-view mirror and saw that the man was standing there with the pack on still on his back. So he stopped the truck and asked the man why he didn't take the backpack off. The man replied "You offered me a lift, but I didn't want to burden you with my load so I thought I would keep carrying it."
We laugh at the twisted logic of this argument, but it is so true of many of us. We've become children of the King but we forget that when He carries us, He can carry our burdens too... We're standing on the flatbed of grace, still carrying our backpacks!
When we don't bring our deepest needs to God it's for two reasons:
1. We underestimate the generosity of God.
2. We're too proud to let Him help us
Jesus gives us a beautiful invitation...
| Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew11:28-30) |
