Divine Love lifts all burdens

What a joy to be free of feeling burdened—that beautiful release from feeling weighed down. It’s a moment of light and grace that changes everything.

Burdens may take many forms, such as obligations, mental or physical difficulties, or debts. Sometimes, we may feel so attached to burdens that they seem to actually define our identity, and we don’t know how to be free of them. But there is comfort and liberation in this promise: “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee” (Psalms 55:22).

According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the Hebrew word for “burden” in that Bible verse means “lot.” A synonym for lot is destiny. “Drawing lots” is a process whereby decisions are made by chance. Burdens often seem to come by chance too; they are not of our choosing, but come about through circumstances resulting from, for example, economic trends, beliefs of heredity or age, or careless oversights. Sometimes, we hear the phrase, “It is my lot in life,” meaning, “This is my situation, and it is not very good.” World thought would decree something a burden or destiny, and say that nothing can be done about it.

The glorious victory that Jesus demonstrated is a shining light of comfort on our path.

When we release our burden, our lot, or “cast” it on God, we let go of the burden or destiny that human belief says is ours and instead let God, divine Principle, define our lot. Our lot is really not defined by people and circumstances, but by God, the designer of our being. God, divine Mind, alone defines and causes us to fulfill our destiny—His plan and purpose for us.

Our purpose is to glorify God by expressing His qualities in our own special individual way forever. We can be assured that divine Love (a Bible name for God) will sustain us in fulfilling our God-given mission. Because we have a holy bond with our heavenly Father-Mother as His spiritual offspring, the loving guarantee of His care is forever with us, nourishing, strengthening, guiding, and dearly holding us in peace.

The preeminent Christianity expressed in the words and works of Christ Jesus clearly exemplifies the Love that lifts all burdens. To those weighed down with the overload of the world and its so-called material laws, Jesus offered a way of escape: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

In his healing ministry, Jesus’ message of the kingdom of heaven at hand lifted off the heaviness of the world and its apparent dictates of sin, disease, sorrow, lack, and death. He proved that the reign of freedom, health, harmony, and abundance is at hand, and all may find rest, peace, and a deep-seated comfort in following Love’s guidance.

For the man unable to walk, Jesus lovingly lifted off that encumbrance by revealing his uprightness. For the widow who lost her only son, Jesus tenderly lifted that burden of grief by raising him from the dead. For the man born blind, Jesus lifted that hardship by restoring his sight.

I was humbly leaning wholly on God, Love, and in so doing, I felt a spontaneous release of the burden.

Even when worldly resistance to Truth tried to weigh Jesus down with the affliction of the crucifixion, have it define his destiny, and bury him away in a tomb, divine Love was there. The burden of that experience was immeasurably awful, but Jesus surrendered only to Love—not to death, but to Life eternal. He laid down a human sense of life and proved to all that there is only one Life—God. As God’s children, we are all sustained by divine Love and fulfill His purpose for us of eternal life. The glorious victory that Jesus demonstrated is a shining light of comfort on our path and we can cast our care on God and experience blessings.

Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, witnessed to the uplift and sustenance of Love promised in Jesus’ words when she wrote: “In the midst of depressing care and labor I turn constantly to divine Love for guidance, and find rest. It affords me great joy to be able to attest to the truth of Jesus’ words. Love makes all burdens light, it giveth a peace that passeth understanding, and with ‘signs following’ ” (Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, p. 133).

In our own lives, burdens may come along just when we see the possibility of expanding opportunities. Such was my experience. There was light on the horizon and joy at hand. I had been newly listed in this periodical as a Christian Science practitioner—someone who gives treatment through prayer for healing. And my gratitude for that opportunity was overflowing! In my college days, I had struggled with a severe physical problem and had prayed diligently. With all my heart I had promised God that after being healed, in gratitude I would devote my life to praying for healing for others. Years after that healing, I was deeply humbled to have come to this threshold.

Around this time, one of our sons collapsed and became unconscious while at school. In order for him to return to school, a medical exam was required. There was believed to be no cure for his illness, and the doctors prescribed no medication (because what was available had harmful side effects), but they informed us that for the rest of his life, he could never be left alone. That seemed like a heavy burden to bear, but preparing for, and committing to, the public practice of Christian Science had actually strengthened and enabled me to face this situation with grace and assurance of healing.

Embracing him in the unfaltering love of God, our family prayed unceasingly. The episodes occurred less and less, but there was one instance when he became unconscious that was particularly challenging. I was beside him, holding his hand and praying, when I feared he might be passing on. Thoughts of fear, disappointment, failure, and great sorrow were like a mountainous strain crushing my thought down. I closed my eyes, humbly leaning wholly on God, Love, and in so doing, I felt a spontaneous release of the burden. Instantly, I tangibly felt the love of God surrounding me and my son. Love had lifted the burden and filled the room with peace.

Within this peace of God’s loving presence, I began to reason, “If I am feeling the love of Love, then I know that Life is here, for ‘Love alone is Life’ (Mary Baker Eddy, Poems, p. 7).” Like a brilliant shaft of light, I saw so clearly the connection of Love and Life, and my son bearing witness to his divine purpose in expressing Love and therefore Life. With joyous certainty, I knew my son must be living, for Love’s presence was tangibly felt and that presence evidences Life. In that moment, he took a deep breath, and it was clear the crisis had passed. Shortly, he regained consciousness, and with further prayer the full healing was realized (see “Healing the ‘incurable,’ ” Journal, March 2000, and Christian Science Sentinel—Radio Edition, December 16, 2001).

In casting my burden on God, I was in some ways humbly letting go of the burden called incurable disease that would seem to have been imposed upon me through my son. This dear one had a holy purpose, and as a child of God, he had infinite capacities for doing good and glorifying his Father-Mother God. Nothing could hinder the fulfillment of that divine purpose. I embraced Love’s purpose for me and for my son, and released the false sense of burden for both of us. Both of us have gone on to individually fulfill God’s fruitful design.

When life seems a heavy load, let us cast our burdensome lot on the Lord, release our destiny and life to God, and find His precious plan already in place and infinitely unfolding.