Cast Your Cares (Re-Blogged Post By Michael Woods)

       Paper or plastic? Walk or ride? Blessing or burden? These are choices we make everyday. When it comes to the last one, you may scratch your head. Let me explain. Blessings come from God, and only God. Marriage, a baby, new job, or new home are all examples of amazing blessings that may come into our life. Over time our perspective may change. A marriage can be tainted from neglect, a baby turns into a teenager (enough said), a job can become a daily drudgery, and a home may eventually become such a burden, that we feel like we are literally squashed underneath it. It's clear that blessings can become burdens, but why?

      Blessings morph into burdens when we can't see the blessing any longer. We can become blinded by things that block our vision. Here are a few examples: 

• Stress- This is a natural response to what's happening around you. Manage it in a healthy way to avoid being blinded by it.
• Fear- "Fear not" appears more than 80 times in the Bible. God clearly wants us to walk by faith, so we can see our blessings.
• Procrastination- Many of us are allowing the burden of delayed duties to cloud our conscience. Focus, eliminate distractions, and stay to task to avoid procrastinating. 
• Anger- When you perceive that you're being provoked, your response may be to become aggressive and this leads to blindness. This battle can be won in the mind by changing how you think, and therefore how you respond. 

These are just a few of the blessing blockers that exist around us, among many more. There is hope though. We are invited by the Psalmist to "cast our burdens upon the Lord", and Jesus reiterates the same throughout the Gospels. If you have allowed blessings to become burdens today, turn them over to the Lord. Take time to count the current blessings in your life and give God the glory for providing them. He will lighten your load, and an attitude of gratitude will follow.