Take it to Jesus

No matter how great your pain, there will always be One who can empathize.  His name is Jesus Christ.  No matter your pain, His pain was greater.

He bore the physical pain of cruel beatings and death by crucifixion.

He bore the emotional anguish of betrayal leading to death, from a close follower and friend.

He bore the heartache of watching those he most loved watch helplessly as He suffered.

He bore guilt and shame, not just of one person, which is all we will ever bear, but of the whole world.

Any one of these is too much. He experienced the compounding pain of all of these all at once.

Fully man, fully God.

He was fully man, allowing Him to experience this pain.

He was fully God, allowing Him to love us, straight through the pain into death. 

He calls.

“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

Why do we hold back?  Why do we not bring all of our pain to Him?

Perhaps we hesitate to bring our brokenness to Him in order to avoid the shock factor.  

He is omniscient.  He already knows everything 

Perhaps we hesitate to bring our pain to Him because we do not feel we have the strength to carry it even that far.

He is omnipresent.  If only we will let go, He will reach out and take our burden.

Perhaps we hesitate as we feel our pain is beyond healing.

He is omnipotent.  Nothing is too hard for God.

Perhaps we have a hundred other reasons.  None of them are good.  All of them are keeping us from the One who is greater.  May today be the day we come with everything..