Not a Burden

The Tampa Bay Bucs are one of the best teams in the NFL through the first 6 weeks, with a 5-1 record. Many are considering Baker Mayfield the MVP of the league so far, as he’s led his team to clutch victories with dramatic plays and toughness. The team has also overcome numerous injuries and continues to roll on.

In the NFL, the teams that win the division the previous season play a first-place schedule, which means they play the other top teams of the prior year. The Bucs have won the NFC South for the last four seasons, and as a result, they continue to have the most challenging schedule in their division. They have the Lions coming up this week on Monday Night Football.

Head coach Todd Bowles recently shared on SiriusXM NFL Radio, via JoeBucsFan.com, how the team has changed their perspective on facing a more difficult schedule: “I think the mental toughness has gotten a lot better this year. We’ve kind of embraced the grind. You know, playing the first-place schedule, [players] used to look at that as playing all these teams in a row as a burden; now they look at it as a challenge.”

Adding in the injuries they’ve dealt with, Bowles mentioned, “[I]t doesn’t matter who plays. I think they understand the assignment — to get where we gotta get to it is going to be a lot of different people every week. And that’s what the good teams do, and that’s what we’re trying to become. So we’re kind of embracing the challenges week in and week out, and guys are really stepping up and maturing, and we got great locker room leadership, and their resiliency is outstanding.”

They’ve been impressive in recent years, especially so far this season, and it seems their tougher schedule has made them better, while their mentality is inspiring.

Specifically, I want to highlight where Bowles said, “You know, playing the first-place schedule, [players] used to look at that as playing all these teams in a row as a burden; now they look at it as a challenge.”

In our own lives, there are two areas of our journey as followers of Jesus that I wonder if we view as a burden or a challenge. What is our perspective on the difficulty of obeying God’s commands and the high standard of Holy living, and how do we view the tough trials of life we face? 

Obedience can be hard when the temptations of the world and our selfishness make for a “tough schedule.” However, 1 John 5:3 (NLT) says, “Loving God means keeping His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome.”

What if we didn’t view God’s commandments as burdens, but we embraced them and even delighted in them? Psalm 119 can inspire us to have a different perspective:

“For I delight in your commands because I love them” (Verse 47; NIV).

“Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long” (Verse 97; NLT).

“Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold…” (Verse 127; NIV).

When we realize how much God loves us and how He’s the Creator, knowing what’s best for us, we understand that His commands are for our good. We are thankful that He has given them to us to protect and help us experience fruitful and victorious lives.

When we love God, we willingly follow His ways, rather than doing so out of obligation or reluctance. We don’t view the life of a follower of Jesus as a burden. Instead, His commands are a gift and absolutely worth obeying.

We must remember, however, that we’ve received His grace and salvation, and now rest in the finished work of Jesus, so we aren’t obeying to be self-righteous and earn His love.

With the trials we face in life and the “tough schedule” we experience, what if we didn’t view them so much as a burden, either, but a challenge worth “embracing week in week out” and growing from?

What if we chose resiliency through the “injuries” and actually found joy in how the trials deepen our faith and mature our character?

James 1:2-4 (AMP) tells us, “Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.”

2 Corinthians 4:17 (NIV) reminds us, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”

Today, just as the Bucs are embracing their difficult schedule instead of allowing it to be burdensome, and stepping up through their injuries, let’s be encouraged to do likewise as we follow God’s commands and persevere through trials with joy.

 I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please help me to delight in Your commands and cherish Your Word. Please teach me to live a life of obedience and not view Your commands as burdensome. Please show me how to find joy in the trials I face, knowing that they are helping me grow and transform. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.