Have you ever noticed how your shoulders creep up toward your ears? It’s a weightless burden as if our hunched shoulders could solve the impossible or lift the unmovable. Today, I caught myself in that state, with my shoulders feeling tight and heavy. As I exhaled and let them drop, I remembered what should be an easy truth: my shoulders aren’t meant to bear the weight of the world, but His are.
Biblical Imagery
The rich imagery of the Bible reminds us of the strength and purpose of Jesus’ shoulders. In Luke 15:5, Jesus speaks of the shepherd who finds his lost sheep. And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.” Not grudgingly, not wearily, but joyfully. His shoulders carry the ones He loves back to safety.
And then there’s Isaiah 9:6, a verse we repeat often in December: “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders.” The weight of leadership, justice, and a world needing redemption rests securely upon Him. He bears it perfectly, in wisdom and grace.
How often do I act like the weight of the world—or even just my little corner of it—depends on me? Yet 1 Peter 5:7 reminds us, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” Jesus challenged our thinking about worry in Matthew 6:27-34: “Can any one of you add a single hour to your life by worrying? … So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
During stressful moments, when my shoulders feel tense, I’m learning to pause and reflect: What burdens should I carry that should rest on Jesus instead? Letting go is not a sign of weakness; it’s a demonstration of faith and trust in the One who supports us all.
Jesus’ shoulders are strong enough for our burdens. He shoulders the weight of our sins, our sorrow, our fears, and even our future. And He does so with joy.
Prayer
Jesus, You who bears the weight of the world on Your shoulders,
Promising peace —
You who invites us to find rest in You —
Teach us how to relax our shoulders
Letting of the anxieties that linger
Knowing that the One who carries us is able —
Give us Your peace–the peace promised, the peace that surpasses understanding —
And may we bear witness to Your loving care. Amen.
