“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.” — Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
When you hear the word burden, it immediately brings to mind a weight — a load we shoulder in our day-to-day lives. Responsibilities are tied to our career, family, relationships, and personal growth. Everyone carries burdens, whether it’s academics as a student, raising a family as a parent, or managing a business as an entrepreneur.
Each of these responsibilities demands capacity — in time, resources, finances, and emotional strength. And in today’s fast-paced, demanding world, it feels almost impossible to catch your breath and manage the relentless pressures of a constantly shifting economy and culture.
At times like these, those burdens can become overwhelming as people scramble to keep up, working extra jobs, juggling businesses and growing children, battling personal or national crises, all while chasing after stability. Sadly, what once might have brought joy and dignity through honest labor has been replaced by mere survival and endless hustle.
And yet, the wise Teacher once said:
So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?” — Ecclesiastes 3:22 NIV
So the question stands — how are we meant to enjoy our work and rediscover the passion behind our every effort, whether in our careers, families, or organizations?
What’s interesting is how Jesus makes an unexpected offer: He promises rest, but also gives us His own burden to carry. You’ll notice He doesn’t promise a life free from responsibility. No, He promises a life where the burden you carry is worth it, a life where His yoke is easy and His burden is light, because walking through this broken world with Him preserves your peace, no matter what comes your way. After all, that’s why He’s called the Prince of Peace.
Let me illustrate this with a simple picture: the fulcrum and lever system. In this system, there’s a load to be lifted, a fulcrum (pivot point), and a handle where effort is applied. Now imagine your life, with its heavy burdens. Placing Jesus at the fulcrum — at the very center — makes all the difference. It allows your effort to produce more movement, lifting those burdens with far less strain. Life’s responsibilities don’t disappear, but they become bearable when the weight is balanced through Him.
That’s why the Apostle John reminds us:
1 John 5:3 NIV “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.”
So, how do we endure and thrive in a world like ours? By embracing the Gospel, loving God, keeping His commands, and receiving the free gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus, who already carried the heaviest burden for us at Calvary.
Lean on Him today. Discover for yourself how light His burden truly is — and realize that much of what you’ve been worrying about isn’t yours to carry at all.
