The Knapsack and the Boulder

There are two different problems or worries that we can carry in life: the Knapsack and the Boulder.

The Knapsack:
The Knapsack is light weight and full of everyday worries. It's a backpack that we carry around each day as we hike the trail of life. The knapsack is essential to help us grow. It's like training with weights. God allows us to carry these burdens for a short time so that we can grow bit by bit. These problems can may seem like a big deal at times, but it is our responsibility to train and grow through them. A friend can be an encouragement to us or even pray for us or carry your Knapsack for a while, but ultimately like a good parent God allows us to go through a little bit of hardship so that we can grow.

The Boulder:
The Boulder is more problematic. These problems are huge life changing problems. The Boulder causes you to get stuck in pits where you can no longer move. However similarly, the Boulder is your own problem, no one else's. While it's super important to identify boulders in other people's lives and help them out, it is also important to not get stuck under their boulder. Then there are two people stuck and no one to help them. This means identifying with, encouraging, praying, and being there for a people would Boulders in their lives. Boulders often have alot of practical application that you can do to help, like helping them out by cooking, loaning some money, being a shoulder to lean on, or helping babysit their problem for a while. But ultimately it's not your job to unstuck them from the Boulder. Only God can remove that burden and He will do in His perfect timing.


Learning about the Boulder and the Knapsack has practical applications in my life. I realize first of all that all my problems are my own and not someone else's. While I can depend on the community for support, I can't expect them to solve my problems. Only God can. And He will in His timing, and it's our job to seek His healing and to wait and trust in Him. Likewise, other people's problems are not my own. It doesn't do any good to carry other people's Knapsacks for them, or worse to get stuck under their Boulder. While it's definitely our job to be there for one another as best as we can, it is helpful to realize that it is not up to us to save the world. We can only temporarily help to alleviate the person and encourage them to look at Christ, the ultimate Healer and Redeemer.

We can only be care givers.
While Christ is the one and only cure giver.


Props to Joel for all these metaphors. =]