Not A Burdensome Thing

Not A Burdensome Thing

I John 5:3 NKJV
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.
And His commandments are not burdensome.

   There are so many burdens we carry through life.  We have family, work, debts, doubts, and more.  One thing that should never be a burden is our faith in God.  God is not the author of hard living and burdens; He is the author of peace.  We make our own beliefs hard and burdensome, but He never intended them to be that way.  Jesus described the religious systems of His day this way, (Matthew 23:4) For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.  In contrast, He points out the contrast with what He brings, (Matthew 11:30) “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
   Instead of the burdensome requirement to keep hundreds of little rules and regulations, Jesus simply says to us, "Love Me and love my people, and you will walk in obedience."  We can fulfill these simple requirements because God has given us new hearts, hearts which by instinct wish to please God.  Our new hearts are inclined towards God and towards His commandments.  It WOULD be a burden for an unbeliever to live this way; their hearts aren’t inclined to follow the Bible.  The commandments we find in the Bible are put there with our best interests in mind.  God has them written down as a kind of "manufacture's handbook" for life.  He tells us what to do because He knows how we work best.  God's commands are not given to bind us or to pain us or because God is an angry god mad at us.
   I don’t believe John is saying in this passage that obedience is an easy thing.  If that were so, then we would get saved and never sin again.  He’s saying that God’s commandments are easier for us who really love God.  When we give ourselves to God and really love Him, we will want to obey Him and please Him. When you love someone, it doesn’t seem like any trouble to try to please them.  On the contrary, you enjoy doing things to please the One you love.  If you were forced to do the same things for someone you did not love, you would be complaining all the time.
   This new year, don’t let yourself be buried under burdens.  Don’t face the cares of this world alone.  Let God touch your heart and help you with your load.  He loves you so much if he were a grandfather your picture would be in His wallet.  He loves you so much He watches over you and never takes His eyes off you.  He wants what is best for you and if you allow Him to He’ll guide you down an easier path.

Stephen Cram                                   January 1, 2012                Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8