"Every muscle in my body turned to fire. My bones felt like they were melting. I wanted to scream, but I didn't have the strength to open my mouth. I began to sink, lower and lower to the ground, the sky's weight crushing me."
- The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan, page 269
Atlas was a deity in ancient Greek mythology. He was the god believed to hold up the earth itself, keeping the sky and the sea from melding together and killing all of humanity. In the scene I just quoted, a mortal boy, Percy Jackson, temporarily takes the load of the earth in Atlas's stead to save one of his friends (I won't tell any more; I wouldn't want to spoil the book for you).
Even though the Percy Jackson series is completely based off of pagan gods and whatnot, I was hit very hard by this short description. Somehow, I was able to relate to Percy's plight because I too have tried to carry the weight of my own world all by myself.
Any time we as humans say something like,
"I've got this."
"I have the strength to get through this."
"I can do this on my own",
we are actually saying that we can, in fact, carry the world on our shoulders, all by ourselves. But, just like Percy, we soon realize how excruciating it is to actually hold up the world and keep it from crashing down on us.
I know I've definitely felt this way before. However, I came across a verse in Psalms that addresses this concept perfectly. Because I just got a spectacular copy of the Message Bible as a gift, I've had the chance to read the Bible from an alternate perspective frequently and this verse in particular stood out to me:
"I took the world off your shoulders, freed you from a life of hard labor. You called to me in your pain; I got you out of a bad place."
Psalm 81:6-7a (MSG)
Wow. This verse is so comforting to me. It means that no matter what I may be facing in this life, God will carry it for me. He will bring me through the rough time, holding up my world and preventing me from getting crushed by it.
Another Psalm discusses this some more:
"They did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory. It was your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from your face that helped them, for you loved them."
Psalm 44:3 (NLT)
To summarize these thoughts, we are not strong enough to hold up our own worlds. That is a fact of life. No matter how hard we try, we CAN'T do it. God is the only one who's strong enough to lift the weight onto His shoulders. So, the next time you feel overwhelmed, don't try and say, "I've got this. I can do it" because honestly and sadly, you can't do it. This is why we need our savior, Jesus Christ, to step in and be our Atlas, holding up the world on his strong shoulders, yet carrying each of us in His loving arms. One of my favorite Coldplay songs, titled "Atlas", reflects this promise,
"Carry your world, I'll carry your world."
And he will carry your world, but only if you place it on His shoulders. You must ALLOW God to take your world and hold it with His strength.
I know that I've quoted a lot of random books and such already, but I came across a beautiful prayer about this topic in a compilation book of Puritan prayers and devotions. So, to end this blog post:
"O Lord of Grace,
The world is before me this day,
and I am weak and fearful,
but I look to thee for strength;
if I venture forth alone I stumble and fall,
but on the Beloved's arms I am firm as the eternal hills;
if left to the treachery of my heart I shall shame thy Name,
but if enlightened, guided, upheld by thy Spirit,
I shall bring thee glory.
Be thou my arm to support,
my strength to stand,
my light to see,
my feet to run,
my shield to protect,
my sword to repel,
my sun to warm."
- "God All-Sufficient" from The Valley of Vision by Arthur Bennett
