You Were Never Meant to Carry It All

Good morning, everybody. I’m Ms. Liz, author of From the Front Porch Devotionals, where you’ll find real life, real stories, real faith—and me just keeping it real. My hope is to give you encouragement for today and hope for tomorrow.

So grab your Bible, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and let’s spend a few moments together right here from the front porch as we discover what Jesus can do with a surrendered heart and learn what’s on the Father’s heart today.

A Quick Note About the Eye of the Needle

First, I want to thank all of you who commented and reached out after yesterday’s message about the eye of the needle and the things we carry as heavy burdens that we need to lay down before the Father.

I heard from so many people who could relate to carrying all that “stuff.” Yes, we like our stuff! I have my own stories about stuff, and many of you shared yours with me, too. Thank you for your comments, messages, and feedback. I love hearing from you.

I do want to clarify something from that message. The story of an “eye of the needle” gate in Jerusalem is generally used as an analogy; there is not established historical evidence of an actual gate by that name in Jerusalem.

But I do appreciate the picture the analogy gives us: coming humbly before the Lord, confessing our sins, and unloading our burdens at the foot of the cross.

Jesus tells us that He is the gate. The things we cling to—our wealth, possessions, and all our “stuff”—have no eternal value. We don’t need to fill our hearts with things that cannot follow us into eternity.

We can lay them down at the foot of the cross and enter into salvation through Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Solutions for What Is Stuck

Today, I want to begin a new series: Spiritual Solutions That Will Unlock What Is Stuck in Our Lives.

I believe this is an important message because every one of us can learn something from it.

There are spiritual solutions in the Word of God that address every situation, every circumstance, and everything that weighs us down.

Some of us have become weary from laboring and heavy-burdened from carrying things we were never meant to carry. But there are keys to unlocking what is stuck in our lives so we can move forward into the life God has planned for us.

I believe this because I’ve been there. I’ve carried those heavy burdens, and I’ve had to go through the process of learning how to put them down.

Are You Trying to Hold Everything Together?

There are people carrying so many responsibilities alone that the weight has become too much.

They’re exhausted.

They’re weary.

They’re trying to hold everyone and everything together all by themselves.

Maybe that’s you.

Maybe you feel like you’re constantly juggling a dozen balls in the air, desperately trying not to let a single one fall.

But sometimes, you need to let them fall.

Sometimes the Lord wants us to allow what needs to fall apart to fall apart so that He can bring healing and restoration into our lives.

Drop the balls.

We were never meant to carry these burdens alone.

God created us to be dependent on Him, not independent from Him.

So many of us are worn out and stressed to the limit because we’re trying to do everything ourselves. We need to understand that God has given us a spiritual solution.

God's Plan Is Better Than Ours

Proverbs 3:5–6 reminds us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts rather than leaning on our own understanding. As we acknowledge Him, He directs our paths.

God’s people need to remember that He has a better plan.

His plan isn’t always our plan. His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts.

God wants to bring healing and restoration into our lives. Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that He came so that we may have life and have it more abundantly.

But doing life entirely our own way can leave us shipwrecked.

When self is sitting on the throne of our lives, we’re sailing in the dark—and we can’t see the lighthouse.

I have discovered through God’s Word that there are spiritual solutions that can unlock what is stuck in our lives so that we can move forward into His plan.

And this brings us to the first one.

Problem #1: Depending on Myself to Do Everything

Maybe you’ve said something like this:

I’m exhausted from carrying weight I was never meant to carry.

I feel completely responsible for everyone and everything.

Everyone relies on me.

It’s just too heavy.

There’s a reason it feels too heavy.

You’re trying to carry it in your own strength.

When we try to do everything through human effort alone, eventually we get tired. We get exhausted. We burn out. We become angry and frustrated because we simply cannot carry it all.

We can’t do it all.

Eventually, we find ourselves shipwrecked, or we drive our lives right into a ditch and become stuck.

Then we don’t know how to get unstuck.

We continue going through our day-to-day routines, doing the same things, carrying the same weight, and wondering what we're supposed to do next.

If that’s where you are today, I want to give you hope.

The Spiritual Solution: Lay It Down

Listen closely, because the spiritual solution is beautifully simple:

Lay it all down and give it to Jesus.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28–30:

He invites us to take His yoke upon us and learn from Him because He is gentle and humble in heart. In Him, we find rest for our souls.

Give Jesus the burden to carry.

We are yoked with Jesus when we abide in Him. And we abide in Him by trusting the Lord with all our hearts instead of leaning on our own understanding.

We acknowledge Him.

And He directs our paths.

Proverbs 3:5–6 Isn't Just a Pretty Verse

Most believers know Proverbs 3:5–6. We quote it all the time.

But I want you to think about something:

This isn't merely a nice suggestion.

God is showing us how to live.

Stop leaning entirely on your own understanding.

Stop trying to do everything yourself.

Come before Him and simply say:

“Lord, I need help.”

We humble ourselves before Him. We unpack the burdens we have been carrying. We strip off the weight and lay it at His feet.

Then we trust Him.

A dear friend of mine, Michael Rocco, once shared a way of thinking about Proverbs 3:5–6 that stayed with me: trust in the Word of God with all your heart, don't lean on your own understanding, acknowledge the Word of God in all your ways, and let the Word direct your path.

That has stuck with me.

If we would take God's Word to heart and actually put it into practice, how differently might we live?

What if we stopped leaning on ourselves?

What if, instead of saying, “I have to figure this out,” we said:

“Lord, I need Your help. Show me how to do this.”

Jesus tells us to have faith in God.

Believe what His Word says.

And then live like you believe it.

What Are You Carrying Today?

Maybe today you’re exhausted because you’ve been trying to keep all the balls in the air.

Maybe you’re holding a family together.

Trying to fix someone you love.

Carrying responsibilities that were never yours.

Trying to control an outcome.

Trying to make sure nothing falls apart.

Or simply trying to be everything for everybody.

Friend, you were never meant to carry it all.

God created you to be dependent on Him, not independent from Him.

So maybe today is the day to drop the balls.

Let go of what God never asked you to hold.

Lay the burden at the feet of Jesus.

And pray the simplest prayer:

“Lord, I need help.”

From the Front Porch

Take a few quiet moments today and ask yourself:

What am I carrying that God never asked me to carry?

What am I desperately trying to hold together?

Where have I been relying on my own strength instead of God's?

And what would it look like for me to truly lay that burden down today?

You don’t have to have all the answers.

You don’t have to hold everything together.

You don’t have to carry it all.

Lay it down. Give it to Jesus. And let Him carry what was always too heavy for you.