What does your backpack feel like today?
Not long ago, I was reminded of this image used in counseling, of our personal back pack. We all carry with us metaphorical backpacks as we go about our daily life. What they carry can be external in nature, such as our responsibilities, other’s expectations, relationships, and physical burdens. Or our backpacks can carry things internally wrought such as anxieties, self-expectations, doubts and hopes. Even lack of sleep can make our backpacks feel harder to bear on any given day.
Somedays, we may feel up to task, carrying our backpacks with ease and perhaps ambition. On other days, life can add up to make our backpack feel heavier leaving us trudging through weighed down.
What is in your backpack today? How heavy is it?
Recently, I was feeling ill at ease, but couldn’t determine what was weighing me down. I had decent sleep, I felt in good standing overall in work, family and home life. I realized however, the little things were getting to me: I was circling a bad pattern with one of my daughters, I was letting a hurtful comment from my sister-in-law replay in my head, and I have a bone spur in my toe that made every step just a little uncomfortable. “I have it better than most” I told myself, “I should be grateful.” But the thing is, light as it may have felt that day, my backpack was chafing. If you’ve ever gone backpacking, or on any sort of hike carrying a literal pack, you know the danger of a chafing strap to your skin, health and joy in the journey.
I was in that same danger, the chafing feeling could too easily become a sore, making each coming day more distracted, complaint-laden and frankly making me a miserable hiking companion. And should my backpack become heavier, I would not be equipped to carry on.
The task when that happens is to stop, remove your backpack and rest. And make some adjustments. Only then can you put it back on anew and go ahead with the journey laid before you. I needed to do the same.
Christ invites us to rest our life’s backpacks with him: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
1 Peter 5:6-7 says: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
We are still to walk, in the light and freedom of Christ, our backpack in place, living out the internal and external complexities of relationships, work, neighbor and world. But God does not expect us to journey alone, or to be able to carry our backpacks without help. Fit and able as we may believe ourselves to be, even when the journey seems straightforward, we are wise to let Christ check our backpacks, ease our burdens and fill them only with what we need to live for His Kingdom’s work. Paul’s words for the believers in Galatia are true for us today: “It is for freedom that Christ set you free, stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.”
Take a moment to rest with Christ.
What is in your backpack today? How heavy is it?
Of what sins or worries or expectations does Christ want to relieve you?
What remains in your backpack that you can appreciate anew?
And may your step be lightened as you carry your life’s backpack as a unique treasure entrusted to you by Christ as you walk with Him.
Lin Preiss