Rocks in Our Wagon

WHOSE ROCKS ARE IN YOUR WAGON?

One day God spoke to a young man and asked him to carry three stones up the hill for Him.  The young man gladly agreed, happy to do anything that the Lord might want him to do.  So he put the three stones in his wagon and started the long trip up the hill.  The stones were not very heavy and it was a beautiful day, so he sang as he went, happy to be of service to the Lord.

After about half a mile he passed a friend’s house.  The friend saw him and asked what he was doing, so he explained that he was carrying three stones up the hill for the Lord.  The friend told him that he had some stones that also needed to be taken up the hill, and asked if he could take them too.  He replied that he would be happy to and added them to his wagon.  He proceeded up the hill with a somewhat heavier but still quite bearable load, happy to be of service to the Lord and his friend.

After another half mile he passed another friend’s house and stopped there to rest awhile.  When the friend found out what he was doing, he mentioned that he too had some rocks that needed to be carried up the hill.  The young man told him to place them in the wagon, and he would be happy to take them up as well.  Now the load was getting pretty heavy and he was working up quite a sweat, but he still felt good about being of service to the Lord and his friends.

After another half mile he was becoming quite tired and thirsty, so he stopped to rest again and ask for a drink.  The person at whose house he had stopped was kind enough to give him some lemonade.  Upon seeing the wagon that was now nearly full of rocks, he mentioned that he too had some rocks that needed to be carried up the hill.  The young man reluctantly added them to his wagon and proceeded up the hill.  He was not far from the top now, but it was becoming very steep and the wagon was very heavy.

As he went he continued to grow more and more angry with the Lord for giving him such a difficult task to do.  Finally, in sheer exhaustion, he pulled his wagon over to the side of the path, sat down, and told the Lord this was it.  He had had enough and was quitting! 

The Lord spoke to him again, and asked him what was the matter.  He explained that the task he had been given was too hard and his burden too heavy.  The Lord acted as though He was surprised, and then looked into the young man’s wagon.  “Where did all these other rocks come from,” asked the Lord.  “I only gave you three stones to carry up the hill; My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

We will get burned out, frustrated, and even angry if we let other people put their rocks in our wagon.  We need to make sure that we are only carrying the stones that God has given us.  Sometimes God will ask us to carry someone else’s rock, but He will never overburden us.  We should not allow anyone but God to put rocks in our wagon.