TMI

Originally published on May 23, 2013

Too much information.  I usually reserve this phrase for the occasion when a friend shares uncomfortable details on an intimate topic.  But today, I reserve this criticism for our media.  This might not be the most popular opinion, but after the tragedies of the last 2 months, I am convinced that we were never meant to see and carry the burdens of the entire world.  God made us to care for others and to help those closest to us.  We are called to specific areas for ministry, but much more than that, can get to be too much.  Don’t get me wrong.  I want to know what is going on in the world.  I think it’s important to be informed so that we can feel God’s urgings to ministry and know how to pray.  I want to pray for the tornado victims.  I want to pray for the parents of a little girl severely injured by seizures.  I want to reach out to them and offer what little comfort I can.  I want to pray for the community of West and those families affected by the bombings in Boston.  But I don’t think it’s healthy to view every minute detail in continuous loop.  It’s too much.  My heart can’t handle it.  It can become overwhelming and consuming to the point of neglecting the ministry that God has put in my own home.  It’s OK if you disagree with me.  I am willing to admit that I might be wrong and merely sheltering my heart for self-preservation purposes.  Maybe you are made of stronger stuff than am I, but here is what I know for sure:

There is one person who walked this earth, that was created to carry the burdens of the world.  Jesus.  He took all of our sins on Himself when He died on the cross and if we accept that He did this for us and ask Him to transform our lives, He will take our sins away for ever.  He will carry our heavy loads upon his shoulders for the rest of our days on earth and then take us to heaven to live with Him after we die.  So when everything going on in this fallen world has me feeling weighted down, I take comfort in these Red Letter words, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33