Robert Griffith | 9 October 2023

Robert Griffith
9 October 2023

I had a huge clean up in my office recently. It was a five-garbage bag clean up! As I tossed things away which I once needed, so many memories came flooding back. It’s like I was tossing away chunks of my life. I wasn’t, the memories are still there, but it was a process which brought mixed feelings.

Then it was my computer’s turn! In my clean up I found some old hard drives and so I needed to make sure all the files on there had been transferred to my current computer and cloud backup. They hadn’t – so I am glad I checked. In the process of copying the files and sorting them into their new folders, I came across my correspondence folder. Hundreds of letters over decades. Most them complimentary and affirming of my ministry as a Pastor and preacher. But not all of them. Yes, you know what happened, don’t you? I decided to read one of the not so positive letters again – it was 20 years old.

The flow of negative thoughts and emotions triggered by this letter were flooding through my mind like a tsunami. Worse still, it stayed with me for days. I could feel a weight on my shoulders when I walked through the rooms of my house. I could hear it in the sighs that repeatedly escaped my lips. And I could do nothing to change the situation, I was helpless to make a single bit of difference, it was just that kind of experience.

I thought about my response to what was going on and realized I was making it worse by letting it trouble me this much. This person was only part of my life for a very brief time. We were not close. Their opinions should not have really mattered. But here I was – feeling like I was back there, reading this letter for the first time and having to face this person next time I saw them. It was quite debilitating. My head was telling me to let it go! Instead of worrying and fretting, I needed to give it to God and free myself from the weight of anxiety that was pressing on me.

I knew to keep praying over this situation. I knew to trust God. When I made a fresh commitment to both of these, and reminded myself of some verses in the Bible that talk about giving our cares to the Lord, I began to feel that weight lift from my shoulders.

My attitude changed and the grey clouds in my mind cleared away and in their place I could see blue skies and sunshine again. All that worry had become a dark cloud following me around, hovering over me, even glued to me on some days!

Worry makes everything look dark.

But when I let it all go and committed to trusting God Who had already taken care of this twenty years ago, my heart grew lighter, and then my steps grew lighter. That heavy weight was not sitting on my shoulders any longer.

What a difference I experienced when I stopped allowing the darkness to consume me by choosing to let it go. I gave this burden to the Lord, and He lifted it from my shoulders. Oh, how freeing was that! And yes, in case you are wondering – I deleted that letter so this never happened again.

Are you casting all your cares on the Lord? Are you letting Him lift your burden?

Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

1 Peter 5:6-7 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.“

I also had another memory from that time. As I was wrestling with a lot of issues in ministry, I wrote a song which the Lord has reminded me of many times since. Unlike most worship songs, this is not one we sing to God. This is God speaking to us. I hope the Spirit of God will use these words to bless you.

Come to Me

I know your pain and struggles, every tear you’ve shed
I’ve felt your grief and heartache every day|
But child, I also know that many blessings lay ahead
If you’d only trust in Me and hear Me say:

Come to Me when you’re tired and weary
Come when faith and hope have disappeared
Come My child and lay all your burdens at My feet
Bring to Me your failure, sin and fear
For My yoke is easy and My burden light
The victory is secured, you’ll never need to fight
I’ve already given you the power to conquer sin
So, trust in My Spirit now within

Take hold of tomorrow, for yesterday is dead
Leave your disappointments, close the door
New dreams I will give you as you take the road ahead
Lean on Me and you will be restore

I will give you peace . . . like you’ve never known
I’ll restore your vision . . . joy will overflow!
Let go of the sin . . . the struggles, pain and strife
Come and let Me love you back to life