We all carry a backpack.

It’s not the one you carry to school or work, though that one can be heavy enough. This backpack is invisible, yet it weighs us down more than any physical burden. It’s the backpack of “shoulds.”

• “I should be more disciplined.”
• “I should be a better parent.”
• “I should be more successful.”
• “I should be more spiritual.”

These “shoulds” – whispered by society, by our own inner critic (and sometimes that critic is much worse than the voice of society)– they become our mantra. They create a constant, low-grade anxiety. We strive, we hustle, we compare, all in an attempt to meet these impossible expectations.

But what if we dared to take off the backpack? What if we questioned the very weight of these “shoulds”?

• What if “should” was replaced with “could”?
• What if “disciplined” became “curious”?
• What if “successful” became “joyful”?

The Bible, when read with an open heart, is not a book of endless “shoulds.” It’s a story of grace, of liberation, of finding rest. It’s about encountering the Divine in the messy, beautiful, unpredictable reality of human life.

It’s about discovering that true freedom isn’t about achieving some idealized version of ourselves, but about embracing the unique, messy, and magnificent person we already are. And here’s the beauty, God meets us where we’re at but loves us enough not to leave us there. He journeys with us, far beyond the burden of the “shoulds”.

So, today, let’s try an experiment. Let’s notice the “shoulds” creeping into our thoughts. And then, let’s gently but firmly put them down. Let’s choose lightness over weight. Let’s choose curiosity over judgment. Let’s choose joy over pressure.

The world needs your unique brand of messy, beautiful, humanness. Don’t let the weight of “should” hold you back.

Grace and Peace
-Pastorsponderings.