Carrying Light, Not Load

Yesterday, during my Bible study on animals in Scripture, I was certain the donkey would teach me a lesson about stubbornness. After all, isn't that what donkeys are famous for? But God had something entirely different and far more beautiful in store for me.

As I studied the account of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, it hit me like a thunderbolt. That little donkey wasn't chosen because of what he could carry but because of who he would carry. He wasn't meant to haul heavy burdens. He was meant to carry the Light of the World. And here's where it gets personal: we're just like that donkey.

How many times have I trudged through my days feeling like a pack mule, weighed down by worry, responsibility, and those endless "what-ifs" that plague my thoughts? I've rounded my shoulders under the weight of "should-haves" and stumbled over obligations that were never mine to bear. I've been so busy carrying the load that I forgot I was meant to carry the Light.

In Matthew 11:30, Jesus says, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." For years, I read that as Jesus saying the burden wasn't heavy. But there's so much more to it! What if He wasn't just using a figure of speech, but He was also using a play on words? The burden is literally Light. Yes, it’s light as in "not heavy," but it’s also Light as in His very presence, His love, His message. We aren't called to be beasts of burden, struggling under impossible weight. We're called to be light-bearers, carrying His glory into a dark world.

Think about the physics of it. A load is subject to gravity. It pulls you down, makes your steps heavy, rounds your shoulders forward until you're staring at the ground instead of looking up. It's made of regrets and fears, anxieties and failures. But light? Light has no weight at all. In fact, light illuminates the path so you don't have to strain your eyes trying to find your way. When you carry the Light you aren't pulling a wagon full of rocks. You're holding a lamp that shows the way not just for you, but for everyone around you.

I've spent far too much time trying to carry loads that were never mine to bear. I've worried about things I couldn't control, shouldered responsibilities God never assigned to me, and exhausted myself trying to fix problems that only He could solve. All the while, Jesus has been saying, "Put that down. I've got this. Just carry Me."

That Palm Sunday donkey didn't worry about the destination. He didn't fret about the crowds or the road ahead. He simply carried Jesus, and in doing so, he became part of one of the most glorious moments in history. What if we approached our days the same way? What if instead of asking, "How will I ever carry all of this?" we asked, "How can I better carry Him?"

The next time you feel your shoulders rounding under the weight of life's burdens, remember the donkey. Remember that you were never called to carry the load. You were called to carry the Light. And oh, what a difference that makes! 

His presence has no weight, only warmth. 

His love doesn't burden. It lifts. 

His message doesn't drag us down. It sets us free.

Stop trying to be a pack mule. Start being a light-bearer. The Lord doesn't need your strength to carry His burdens. He just needs your willingness to carry His Light. And I promise you, that's a load you can bear with joy.

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28