My prayer walking partner does this. She walks weighted. Every time we walk and pray, she wears a weighted vest. I wasn’t aware of this for a long time, actually until last spring when the weather turned warm and her weighty vest was no longer concealed by her heavy coat. I could then see the extra burden she bore as we walked and prayed. Of course, the obvious query is why? Why would anyone willingly choose to carry more weight with them than they absolutely had to. Doesn’t the extra weight make her journey slower, harder, longer than it would otherwise be?

Ironic, isn’t it? My last post was about lightening our loads and now I’m talking about increasing what we carry with us? It would seem I can’t make up my mind these days. However, in my defense, I’ve been thinking about these words in Galatians which give me a very specific instruction –

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)

Seriously? I already feel the weight of the world on my shoulders more days than I care to admit, and now I’m supposed to add to my load and offer to help someone else carry their burden? their baggage? Impossible right? Well, no because “with God all things are possible.” My Heavenly Father will enable me to do whatever it is that He asks of me. Still, it sounds unduly difficult to me and a bit unreasonable of God to ask such a thing of me, don’t you agree?

I always thought the goal was to travel light through this life, both literally and figuratively. However, if I pay closer attention to what God’s instructions are, I realize that although He does tell me to throw off some things, He also asks me to pick up or to put on some other things. My Heavenly Father tells me to throw off “the sin that so easily entangles” – anything that hinders me and holds me back. My instructions also include this directive –

“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.” (1 Peter 2:1)

Well, that should certainly lighten my load! Those things are heavy burdens, never intended to be carried with me everywhere I go. But God also asks me to put on plenty of weighty things – namely, God asks me to “put on His full armor”, He asks me to “take up my cross and follow Him” and He invites me to “bear other people’s burdens.”

Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? Is this really in my best interest, this walking weighted down with armor and my cross and my life’s burdens and now other people’s burdens, too? I guess armor was the original weighted vest. That breastplate of righteousness must have weighed quite a bit, (still does – character building is like weight training for our souls instead of our muscles) not to mention the shield of faith would be weighty to wield as one walked along.

BUT – it turns out, walking while weighted is good for us. That’s why my friend wears the weighted vest. There are benefits to carrying this extra weight around with us. Apparently, it builds and maintains our muscles and our bones, making them strong and keeping them strong. And as it turns out, weight bearing is good cardio, too – meaning it’s good for our hearts. So when Jesus told His disciples “take up your cross and follow Me” He knew carrying this extra weight would produce necessary and desirable results in their lives. Today, Jesus invites you and I, dear readers, into this same weight bearing journey of following Him.

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24)

Did you catch that? I am to “deny” or throw off some things while simultaneously “taking up” other things. Knowing what to leave behind and what to carry with me on this journey makes all the difference. Fortunately, God’s word gives me some pretty clear guidelines about what to leave behind and what to carry with me, even listing out all the pieces of the armor in Ephesians chapter six. (ie. the helmet, shoes, belt, breastplate, shield and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word)

Some things, like bitterness, unforgiveness, hate, anger, anxiety – these are burdens that destroy me, burdens that weaken me, hold me hostage and keep me paralyzed. However, other weighty things I carry, such as the cross of Christ or the burdens I bear for others, these make me stronger instead of weaker. I become strong in compassion, empathy, unselfishness, helping others. These are vitally important muscles which need to be used in order to be made strong. If I don’t use them, I lose them. (we all recognize that mantra from the gym, right?)

Carrying my cross daily builds my character and my trust in my Heavenly Father. Crosses were notoriously heavy. We know from the account of Jesus’s crucifixion, how He and the one who carried His cross for Him struggled under its weight. But we are told the weight we bear for Jesus and for others is weight we carry with a purpose, for a reason, for a very good reason.

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Yes, you and I are growing stronger as we carry our crosses and sometimes shoulder the weight of the crosses of our loved ones as well. (or those of our enemies) As we do this, we are building necessary spiritual muscle and bone. We are strengthening our faith as we walk with our weighted vests (or breastplates and shields etc.) while following Christ. You and I have the privilege of carrying with us something very weighty and very special. God’s word says this about us –

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’ ” (Isaiah 52:7)

That’s you and I, dear readers – and that’s another thing we carry with us – the most important thing – God’s Good News. My prayer walk partner and I carry so much more than the weight of her weighted vest with us when we walk – we carry God’s proclamation of peace, salvation, and the assurance and knowledge that our God is alive and well, sovereign and loving. We carry God’s message of redemption and hope, all while wearing His shoes, the shoes of the gospel of peace.

I am definitely walking weighted through this world BUT – if I am carrying the proper weights that God has given me to carry, I will be increasing in strength and stamina as I continue on in my faith journey. In fact, I have this promise as I walk bearing the weight of armor, cross, burdens and the Gospel (God’s Good News is quite weighty in the best sense of the word, having the substance (weight) of truth that stands the test of time for eternity, the power to save lives, to redeem, restore and set free each one who hears and receives God’s message) –

“Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:30-31)

you and I will soar, dear readers, all while wearing our weighted vests!

sincerely, Grace Day