“There are 5 racers poised in the starting blocks ready to go any moment now, announced Sam to the radio audience. Let’s see who is in each lane. In lane #1 there is Rejection, then Mistakes, then Hatred, then Guilt. Wow! Those are sure negative names. Except the last one. His name is Love.”
“Well, this is certainly different Sam, remarked Bill with puzzlement. The racers are carrying back packs with their names plastered across the back. They don’t have anything written of the front of their shirts. All except Love. Love, is written on his shirt but, he doesn’t’ have a back pack.”
BANG!
“And the runners have taken off! They are running neck and neck. But wait a minute, what’s Love doing, Bill?”
“He is moving across the lanes! Look! Now, he’s running beside Rejection! He’s talking to him! Do you think he is trying to intimidate him?” asked Bill.
“No, no, replied Sam shaking his head. It doesn’t look like that. Look, now Love is helping Rejection open his back pack. Rejection is removing something. It’s a huge rock and Rejection is giving it to Love! Now, Rejection is picking up speed!”
“What was that all about? questioned Bill. Did Love just help him?”
“You think that was strange. Look at Love now, Bill. He is doing the same thing with Mistakes!”
“Now, Mistakes is moving ahead, shouted Bill. Love is talking to every one of the other racers! By taking those rocks out of their back packs, Love is enabling them to move faster! This makes no sense, Sam! Well, folks, no matter what is going on, we have a pretty even race out there,” announced Bill.
“Wait a minute, said Sam. Love is sprinting ahead. He sees the finish line and is going to beat them all! What!! Love is inches away from crossing the line and he stopped!!”
“What is he doing?” Bill asks as he jumps up.
“Rejection is almost there! At least I think that is Rejection. The letters on his back pack are crossed out. It looks like a name has appeared on his shirt. It doesn’t say Rejection. It says Accepted?”
“Anyway, said Sam, let’s see what Love is going to do. Will Love step over the finish line just before Rejection, or whoever it is? No! Will you look at that! Rejection is stumbling and Love just reached out his hand and helped Rejection over the finish line!”
“Now, will Love cross over? Nooo! Did you see that, Sam! Love just helped another runner cross the finish line!
I think it was Mistakes, but the name on his shirt says Forgiven, stated a bewildered Bill. Here he goes again helping Hatred and Guilt. Shaking his head Bill spoke with disbelief, I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Love did some unexpected things during the race. He helped lighten the racers back packs knowing that the racers would run faster. But I don’t think Love was thinking about how fast they would go. Instead, Love was thinking about how light they would feel once the negative rocks they carried were removed. Who is Love acting as in this race? Love is acting as our loving God would act. For God is love, 1 John 4:8b
Just like the racer, Love, lightened the runners load,
our loving God wants to help each and every one of us to lighten our load.
The load we carry around like a back pack is full of negative thoughts and feelings. Like rocks, rejection, mistakes, hatred and guilt, weigh us down.
Rejection we feel from others.
Mistakes we can’t forgive ourselves for making.
Hatred others express towards us.
Guilt we carry when we accept blame for everything negative in our lives.
We carry these loads around for so long that we accept them as part of us. But they are not part of who God made us to be. God, through His Son Jesus, made us to be free from rejection, past mistakes, hatred and guilt.
People may reject us but, God accepts us.
To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved,
Ephesians 1:6
We may condemn ourselves for mistakes but, God forgives us.
For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more, Jeremiah 31:34b
People may hate us but, God loves us.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, Ephesians 2:4
We may hold onto guilt but, God, through Jesus, sets us free.
Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed, John 8:36
When we carry these loads, it’s not always easy to empty our back packs. But with a little faith, we can give our load of rocks to Jesus who is big enough to carry it all.
Jesus love for us is so great that He wants us to give all our load to Him.
Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you, 1 Peter 5:7
There may be no redo’s in life. We can’t erase past mistakes or rerun a race we have already run. But we can begin again. It doesn’t necessarily mean getting a new job, new neighbor, or replacing anything else in our life. What it does mean is getting a new perspective and removing the heavy rocks that load us down. With the help of Jesus, we can lighten our load, leave the past behind and begin again.
Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do,
forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,
I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, Philippians 3:13-14 (ASV)
Love could easily have won the race, but Love was more concerned about helping others cross the finish line. Because God loves us, He is right beside us every day as we run the race of life. He is there to help us all the way to the end.
Each day is new.
Empty the rocks from your heavy back pack into Jesus’ hands.
Tomorrow, begin a new day with God’s mercies and a lighter load.
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness, Lamentations 3:22-23
REFLECTION
Do you carry around a back pack filled with rocks like rejection, mistakes, hatred or guilt? Is there one rock that you can give to Jesus today to lighten your load?
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, as I write 1 Peter 5:7, help me to lighten my load and in faith, give all my cares to you. Help me to stop condemning myself and with your mercies begin again. In Jesus name. Amen.
IN FAITH GIVE YOUR CARES TO JESUS BELIEVING HE WILL TAKE CARE OF THEM ALL
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May your day be filled with love and laughter!
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Racing photo by Braden Collum, unsplash
Hand photo, Stock photo, pixabay
Dog photo by Richard Thijeratt, unsplash
Backpack photo by Luis Guintero, unsplash
