Don’t Be Weighed Down

“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.”

—Luke 21:34 (ESV)

“Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”

—Matthew 24:42 (ESV)

Devotion:

Jesus didn’t just warn against blatant sin—He warned against being weighed down by the cares of this life. That includes the responsibilities, pressures, and emotional weight we all carry: bills, kids, jobs, schedules, relationships, health concerns, and more. These things aren’t evil, but they can become distractions that dull our spiritual senses when they dominate our focus.

In Luke 21, Jesus says if we don’t stay alert, the day of His return will come like a trap. That’s a sobering image. Traps don’t warn you—they snap shut while you’re distracted.

The invitation is to live free from entanglement. When we carry our burdens instead of casting them on Jesus, we get tired. When we focus on the temporary, we lose sight of the eternal. The cares of this life are heavy, but Jesus offers a better way: “Come to me… My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

Prayer Focus:

• Ask the Lord to reveal the cares of this life that are weighing you down.

• Surrender anxiety, distraction, and busyness at the feet of Jesus.

• Pray for believers who are spiritually drained by daily pressures to be refreshed and awakened.

• Intercede for the Church to walk in spiritual clarity, free from entanglement and full of holy anticipation.