My Burden is Light

This week has been a long one, so this scripture in Matthew really spoke to me:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

I’ve always loved this scripture because I love the assurance that if we come unto Christ, He will ease our burdens.  Who hasn’t felt weighed down by the weight of the world at some point?  I think sometimes I feel that because my burdens aren’t very heavy compared to things that others may have to go through, I should be able to bear them by myself.  But does He mean, “Come unto me, all ye with the heaviest burdens,” or “Come unto me, but only if it’s really bad, otherwise don’t bother me”?  Of course not!  The invitation is for ALL of us, no matter what our burdens are.

This is the part that I sometimes forget:  Christ has already borne all of our burdens.  All of them.  He’s felt our pains, our sicknesses, our infirmities - all so that He would know how to take care of us and how to heal us (see Alma 7:11-13).  I’m not bothering Him by coming to Him seeking rest from my burdens.  He has already borne them for me, and He wants desperately to lift me from them.  There is no burden too heavy or too light, nothing too silly to take before the Lord.  It doesn’t matter if our pain is a consequence of being a little stupid or a little rebellious, or if someone else has it worse than we do.  The Savior doesn’t compare us to others or hold our human weaknesses against us.  He is loving, forgiving, patient, and kind, and He understands better than anyone else could.

I think I’ll close with the words of one of my favorite hymns:

“Why should this anxious load
Press down your weary mind?
Haste to your Heavenly Father’s throne
And sweet refreshment find.

His goodness stands approved,
Unchanged from day to day;
I’ll drop by burden at his feet
And bear a song away.”

(“How Gentle God’s Commands,” Hymn 125, verses 3-4)