I’ve heard this countless times from my kids. Whether it’s the purse I told her she would not need at the park or the sunglasses he does not want to wear inside the mall, my kids don’t mind asking me to carry things they don’t want to carry. (I’ve even found some of my husband’s things inside my purse at times, slipped in when he didn’t want to have to carry that extra notebook after church.)

Jesus told His disciples that unless they changed and became like children, they would not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3). Could this practice of not carrying unneeded items in any way relate to child-like faith?

As adults I think we try to demonstrate our maturity by having things under control. When we keep our ducks in line and are properly stewarding the blessings God has given us and are using our gifts to serve him, surely then our lives will reflect a good God.

Those practices are responsible. But when being responsible starts to come before relying on God for our every breath and every move, we can end up focusing more on what we are doing ourselves and how capable we are.

Some of the most freeing moments I’ve had have been when I looked at a seemingly impossible situation and immediately handed it to God with a laugh. “You’ll have to figure that one out, Lord, because I sure can’t.”

Right now, in this moment, what is something you can take off and ask God to carry? If you’re like me, there is always something you are tempted to carry around – sometimes without even realizing it.

I love how the Amplified Bible states 1 Peter 5:6-7: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].”

Let us leave behind the pride of carrying it all and let the One who cares for us with deepest affection carry it for us.