Don't Be Weighed Down Luke 21:34

34"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.




Jesus cautions His disciples to "take heed to yourselves". He will tell them in verse 35 to "watch and pray." It is imperative that we watch or take a good look at where we are and where we are headed when it comes to living our lives. Temptation can strike at any moment. We have to be aware of our surroundings and aware of the circumstances that can get us off track.

Not only do we have to be aware of temptations that come upon us, we must also be aware of our own sinful nature that will lead us to sin as well. Jesus mentions "carousing and drunkenness and cares of this life." It is so easy for things to come between us and our relationship with the Lord. We understand the carousing and the drunkenness but the "cares of life" are with us at every step we take.

It is so easy for our hearts to get weighed down. It is so easy for us to let our priorities get out of place and since it is a gradual process in a lot of cases, our hearts can get heavy and we fail to realize it until it is too late! Notice this is the general thrust of this passage. Jesus' word of warning to us is to not let that day come upon us unexpectedly.

The whole purpose of our lives is to prepare us for eternity. For when this day of death and judgment comes upon us unexpectedly it finds us unprepared for it. There is one reason that this happens. We want to look at life and take care of the cares of the world. We want to be successful. We want to find happiness. We want to take care of the here and now and we fail to take care of the hereafter!

Prayer keeps our feet planted so that our hearts do not get weighed down with the cares of life. Prayer helps us keep our priorities where they should be focused and when our eyes are focused on Jesus, He is able to take care of our hearts and our lives go as He would have them go!