Soul Weight

All people experience weights in life. There is the weight of sin – even when it isn’t recognized as such. The weight of the body – that which our flesh desires. The weight of words and circumstances. There is the weight of eternity. For most who find themselves in a Christian community the weight of eternity has been lifted through the salvation found in Jesus Christ. When you are born again, the weight of eternity is removed. You have assurance that eternity in heaven is secured because of Christ’s work on your behalf. And yet, even as born again believers, we continue to experience weights in life. At times, we get confused and can even become bitter because we do delineate between the completed work of Christ in our spirit and the progressive work of Christ in our soul. 

So when weights come upon us, they must be lifted. And if they are to be lifted, we must come to Him who is able and strong enough to do it. We come to the Lord who, “restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:3). It is the Lord who is able to bring about the healing needed for our mind and our emotions. It is the Lord who is able to save (deliver) our soul. Just as we had to lift our weight of eternity and place it upon the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf, we must lift the weights seeking to ensnare our souls and place them upon Him who is able to purify, sanctify and satisfy the longings of our souls. 

We must accept that weights will come. As believers we are not exempt from them. Oftentimes, we allow the enemy to deceive us into thinking that if we are going to be effective witnesses to the lost, we must put on a front and pretend as though Christians do not carry weights. We wear masks among brothers and sisters in Christ, thinking that they expect for us to not be loaded down with weights. 

Instead, if we are going to run with endurance and finish the race set before us, we must learn to accept that weights will come and therefore, we will prepare ourselves to deal with them. And we do so by: 

1. Lifting the soul – placing our weight upon Christ through times in His presence. Praying and 

confessing your weakness to carry the weights and proclaiming His strength to carry them for 

you. 

2. Eating for the soul – consume God’s Word! Allow His Word to strengthen you! 

3. Resting for the soul – take the time to simply be still in His presence and allow His Spirit to 

breath on you. 

4. Redemption of the soul – allowing the Lord to give back to you the peace that weights have 

crushed. 

5. Repeat – because weights will come again. 

6. Remember – because His faithfulness today gives you faith for tomorrow. 

In Matthew 11:29 Jesus promises, “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.” It is as we continue to seek Him and come to Him, that we continue to find rest. Give Him your soul weight today.