Matthew 11:28 "COME TO ME, ALL YOU WHO LABOR and are heavy-laden and overburdened...
Heavy Laden? Overburdened? Is that me? Would others say that is me? WEBSTER!
Heavy - of great weight; hard to lift or carry: of great amount, quantity, or size; extremely large; massive: of great force, intensity, turbulence: of more than the usual or average weight: hard to bear; burdensome; harsh; oppressive: hard to cope with; trying; difficult:
Laden - To load oppressively;
and
Overburdened - heavily burdened with work or cares; "bowed down with troubles"; "found himself loaded down with responsibilities"; "weighed down with cares"
I think in order to answer whether those words describe me or not I must look at the flip-side of them. Off hand, I would think if your not heavy-laden, then your rejoicing? Yes, it's true, you could be somewhere in between and that may depend on the day or the hour, but, heavy laden seems to be the extreme in one direction, so I want to see the extreme in the opposite direction.
Rejoice - To feel joyful; be delighted: a feeling of great happiness: the utterance of sounds expressing great joy.
Unburdened - not burdened with difficulties or responsibilities; not encumbered with a physical burden or load
All this you realize is very subjective. Very subjective!
Subjective - existing in the mind; belonging to the thinking subject rather than to the object of thought: pertaining to or characteristic of an individual; personal; individual: placing excessive emphasis on one's own moods, attitudes, opinions: relating to or of the nature of an object as it is known in the mind as distinct from a thing in itself.
Subjective! Rejoice - To feel joyful. Can't say that what I am feeling is joyful. But I am thankful!Feeling of great happiness. Once again, can't say that I'm feeling great happiness. But I am thankful! The utterance of great sounds of joy? Three strikes and you're out? But hold on! I am very thankful for all that God has done whether it seems to have met my expectations or not. Thankfulness counts for something, doesn't it?
Subjective! Unburdened - Difficulties? Yes I have a few. But, I don't mind hard work and I know that there is a cost to everything. Responsibilities? I have just a few of them as well. But I am thankful!
More subjectivity but for me to make this determination I think that I need to look at my words and actions. What am I speaking? What am I doing? They count for something! Are my steps in faith, trusting, relying on and dependent on God? Am I speaking the problem or the promise, according to the word? I can't control my thoughts, but I can control the words and actions that come as a result of them.
Now that I've spent over two hours here and said all that, I realize that these are the words of one who still views "Come to Me, all who labor, and are heavy-laden, overburdened as an invitation. Like if I don't see myself as in labor or heavy-laden or overburdened then I'll take a pass. If the words in my bible jumped off the page to catch my attention, which can be assumed by the fact that this is part seven, then why not just "come?" Perhaps I don't want the stigma of being one who is in labor or heavy-laden or overburdened. Perhaps pride, deception, distraction? I know, I'll find someone who is all that and then I'll use the excuse of walking with them. Just kidding.
I am going to make the, yes... very subjective call, that in spite of all my logic and yes, even what appears to be some indications of the facts, that I am not heavy-laden or overburdened.
BUT..... I am going to "Come to Me" anyway.
"COME TO ME, ALL YOU WHO LABOR AND ARE HEAVY-LADEN AND OVERBURDENED."
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