Have you ever said something you wish you could take back, held on to a grudge and been reluctant to forgive, or struggled to pass your worries over to God?

The author Chuck Swindoll wrote: ‘All this stuff caves in on us…and we wonder how anybody could ever love us…especially God. When we start thinking like this, we need to turn our mind to the “one anothers” in the New Testament. Love one another, build up one another, live in peace with one another, confess your sins to one another, speak to one another, admonish one another, comfort one another, pray for one another. “Bear one another’s burdens.” Imagine two mountain hikers. One…has a…light pack…while the other poor soul…is…loaded down…It could be a long-standing grudge…[or] a broken relationship...That pack could be loaded with unpaid bills. The question is, Where can…[they] go to unload?’

We all need a safe place to unburden ourselves of our troubles. Just sitting in church with any number of other people isn’t going to do it. We can (and should) tell God about everything that’s weighing down our minds, but He’s also placed people around us to share our worries face-to-face, to help us make sense of the chaos of our problems, and to support us on our journey through them.

There’s an old saying: ‘A problem shared is a problem halved.’ Other people may not necessarily take our burden from us, but there’s something powerful and liberating in sharing our worries. So who’s your safe place? Who are the trusted people in your life that will listen without judging or causing embarrassment? And could you be the trusted friend, the ‘safe place’ for someone else?

What Now?

Make yourself available today for God to use you as the ‘safe place’ for someone who’s worried. If He prompts you to connect with someone, be ready to give them space to talk without rushing them, judging them, or making them feel embarrassed.