The Unseen Weight We Carry
Carrying regrets, fears, or anxieties that no one else sees? In this episode, discover how to recognize your hidden burdens and bring them to Jesus, the One who sees what others don't and offers rest when the world only offers more pressure.
Carrying regrets, fears, or anxieties that no one else sees? In this episode, discover how to recognize your hidden burdens and bring them to Jesus, the One who sees what others don't and offers rest when the world only offers more pressure.
Have you ever smiled through a conversation while quietly falling apart inside?
Some burdens are obvious—a job loss, a health crisis, a broken relationship. People can see those and know to ask how you're doing. But other burdens are hidden. The regret you've never told anyone about. The fear that keeps you awake at night. The anxiety humming beneath the surface all day. The pressure to keep performing even though you're running on empty. These are the weights that drain you without anyone noticing.
In this episode, we look at the story of Naomi Osaka, a tennis champion who reached the top of her sport, Grand Slam titles, magazine covers, and worldwide fame, while privately battling depression and anxiety. The very moment the world was celebrating her, she was struggling internally. Eventually, she stepped away from certain tournaments to protect her mental health. Her honesty helped millions put language to something they feel but rarely say: the pressure to look "fine" while privately falling apart.
Through her story and Matthew 11:28, you'll see that Jesus doesn't ask you to pretend you're not struggling. He invites you to bring the unseen weight, the regrets, the fears, the anxieties no one else knows about, and lay it at His feet. You don't have to carry it alone. He sees what others don't, and He offers rest when the world only offers more pressure.
BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL DISCOVER:
- Why hidden burdens grow heavier in the dark and how to bring them into the light
- Three practical steps to name, release, and trust Jesus with the weight you've been carrying alone
- How admitting the weight you carry isn't weakness, it's wisdom that leads to the rest Jesus promises
You don't have to have it all together to come to Jesus. He invites you just as you are, weary, burdened, and honest, and promises to give you rest.
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A tennis champion stands at the top of her sport, ranked
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number one in the world. Naomi Osaka has won Grand Slam titles,
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graced magazine covers, and earned millions. From the
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outside, her life looks like a dream. Success, fame, and
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achievement that most people can only imagine. But behind the
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spotlight, she was carrying a weight no one could see. Osaka
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later revealed she had been battling long bouts of
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depression and anxiety, including her breakthrough 2018
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U. S. Open victory. The very moment the world was celebrating
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her, she was struggling internally. Eventually, she
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stepped away from certain tournaments and media
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obligations to protect her mental health. thing everyone
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told her she should want?
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Welcome to Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. I'm Bart Leger, and
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I've been a pastor for over 40 years, and I know what it's like
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to carry the unseen weight of regrets and fears. Those burdens
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can be tough to bear. But Matthew 11, 28 says, Then Jesus
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said, Come to me, all you who are weary and carry heavy
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burdens, and I will give you rest. That invitation is for
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everyone who's weary and burdened. Not just the people
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whose struggles are visible, not just the ones who look like
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they're falling apart, but everyone, including those who
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look like they have it all together on the outside, but are
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quietly exhausted on the inside. Some burdens are obvious. A job
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loss, a health crisis, a broken relationship. People can see
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those. They know to ask how you're doing, But other burdens
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are hidden. The regret you never told anyone about. The fear that
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keeps you awake at 2 a. m. The anxiety that gnaws at you
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beneath the surface all day long. The shame you carry from
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something years ago. And the pressure to keep performing,
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even though you're running on empty. These are the weights
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that drain you without anyone noticing. Oh, you smile at work,
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and you serve at church. You show up for your family, and no
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one knows you're barely holding it together. The danger of
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hidden burdens is that they grow heavier in the dark. When you
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don't acknowledge them, they don't go away. They accumulate.
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And over time, they leave you feeling exhausted, leave you
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feeling disconnected and alone, even in a crowded room. But
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Jesus sees what others don't. He knows the weight you're carrying,
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even when you never put it into words. And His invitation is not,
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get your act together, and then come to me. It's, come to me now,
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weary, burdened, and struggling, and I will give you rest. That
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rest doesn't mean all your problems will disappear. It
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means you're no longer carrying them alone. You transfer the
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weight to the one whose shoulders are strong enough to
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bear it. But here's the thing. You have to actually bring it to
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Him. Many of us have heard Matthew 11, 28, a hundred times,
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or even more. But we've never really handed over the burden.
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We acknowledge it exists. We might even pray about it vaguely.
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But we haven't truly released it. Releasing a hidden burden to
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Jesus involves at least three steps. First, name it. Be
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specific. Don't just say, I'm stressed. Say something like,
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Lord, I'm terrified that I'm falling apart as a parent. Don't
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just say, I have anxiety. Say, Lord, I'm carrying this fear
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that I'll never be enough. Naming the burden brings it into
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the light. Second, give it to Him. Consciously and
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deliberately hand it over. You might even pray with open hands
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as a physical reminder. Lord, I'm releasing this to You. I
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can't carry it anymore. I trust You to hold it. Then third,
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trust Him with the outcome. This is often the hardest part, and
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most of the time it is. After you've given it to Him, don't
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pick it back up. When the worry creeps in again, remind yourself,
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I gave that to Jesus. He's carrying it now. By speaking
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openly about her hidden burdens, Naomi helped millions of people
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put language to something they feel but rarely say. The
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pressure to keep performing while privately falling apart.
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She showed that looking fine on the outside doesn't mean you're
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okay on the inside. And that admitting the weight you carry
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isn't weakness, it's wisdom. Jesus doesn't ask you to pretend
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you're not struggling. He invites you to bring the unseen
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weight. The regrets, the fears, the anxieties, no one else knows
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about. And then lay them at His feet. You don't have to carry it
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alone. He sees what others don't. And He offers rest when the
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world only offers more pressure. Maybe today, you needed
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permission to admit you're not okay. Maybe you've been carrying
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something for so long that it feels like it's part of you.
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Maybe you've been afraid that if people knew the real weight you
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carry, they'd think less of you. But Jesus already knows. And
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He's not asking you to perform for Him. He's asking you to come
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with all your burdens and let Him give you rest. Here's
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today's challenge. Take a few minutes today in a quiet place.
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And ask yourself, What am I carrying that no one else sees?
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And then write it down if that helps. Name it specifically.
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Then pray, Lord, I've been carrying this weight alone. I
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bring it to you now. I release it into your hands. I trust you
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to hold what I can't carry. And give me your rest. If the weight
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feels too heavy to carry alone, consider sharing it with one
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trusted person. It could be a pastor, a counselor, or a friend
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who will pray with you. Hidden burdens lose their power when
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they're brought into the light. Lord, You see the weights we
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carry that no one else sees. You know our fears, our regrets, our
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anxieties. And You also know the secret things that we struggle
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with. Thank You for inviting us to come to You just as we are.
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We bring our hidden burdens to You now. We release them into
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Your hands and give us Your rest. Remind us that we don't have to
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carry this alone. In Jesus' name, Amen. If this episode encouraged
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you, would you share it with someone who might be carrying an
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unseen weight? Just send them the link from the show notes.
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They might need this reminder that Jesus sees what others
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don't, and He offers rest.
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Jesus sees and cares, and He invites you to come to Him and
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find rest. Come back next time for more encouragement to help
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you live grounded in God's truth. Until then, God bless, and have
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a great day.
