I am not the center of the Universe. I mean this in every sense possible. The world does not revolve around me and the world does not depend on me. I know this to be true. I know the vast world swirls without even a thought to my existence. People struggle, laugh, cry, suffer, marry, divorce, play, live full lives and empty lives all around me and in places I do not know even exist.

What I struggle with is thinking, believing, and acting like the world depends on me. I recognize the enormous ego that this represents. To think that the people around me depend on me is a burden disproportionate to reality. Yes, I matter. I help those around me and in some cases, I am important to a few people. But I am not God. God does not need me to keep the world turning. At times He chooses to use me, but He doesn’t need me. When the Pharisees criticized Jesus for allowing His followers to praise Him during the triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what we celebrate as Palm Sunday, He told them that even if His followers were quiet, the stones would cry out praises. God’s purposes and will for the world and those around us will not be thwarted.

We are not meant to carry the burdens of the world on our shoulders. No matter how much we worry, how much we pray, how diligently we strive, we cannot keep suffering from hurting those we love. We live in a broken world. The burdens we carry are meant for the only One who is capable of redeeming the pain. Whether He chooses to redeem that pain in this world or the next is up to Him. He is good and He knows what is best. Our call is to release the burden and trust Him.

Is there one burden that you have been carrying now for too long? It may be for a child who is struggling or a friend with cancer. It may be related to work or an unfulfilled dream. God’s deep desire is for you to release that burden.

When Paul was in prison in Rome, facing certain death, he wrote to the Philippians, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-7)

I write this as a reminder to myself and anyone else who struggles with carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. On the surface, this seems admirable. In reality, it is unhealthy and lacking faith. Let God be God and give Him your burdens.