Don't pile it on

² He will not cry or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
³ a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.

God is not going to kick you when you’re down. He’s not going to lay one more burden on a man about to fall under the weight of his load. If the fire in your heart is about to go out, he’s not going to dump a pail of water on it.

We can learn from this. Don’t add burdens to someone who is already weighed down. Resist smiling at someone’s misfortune, even if you can’t stand them. Do something you don’t have to at work, and don’t mention it to anyone.

Be who you are

The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; ³therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practise what they teach. ⁴They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,^* and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.

Have you ever known anyone like that? They seem to know a lot about a lot of things. They tell you not to do this or that and then they do it themselves? Or maybe they present themselves one way in public, but act differently on their own time? Whatever you are, however you are, be that way everywhere. Don’t put on one face for church and one for work and one for the streets. God loves every part of you and if there’s something you do that harms you or others or your relationship with God, stop doing it. If it takes a while to stop, keep trying. Ask yourself why you do it in the first place. It helps to know. Ceasing to pretend that the things we don’t like about our selves exist is half the battle to getting rid of them, and the way to healing.