The legend is told about how birds got their wings. They were first wingless creatures. Then God made wings, put them in front of the wingless birds, and said to them, “Come, take up these burdens and bear them.” The birds hesitated at first, but soon obeyed and picked up the wings in their beaks. Because the wings were heavy, the birds laid them on their shoulders. Then, to their amazement, the wings began to grow and soon had attached themselves to their bodies. The birds quickly discovered how to use these new appendages and were soon soaring through the air. What had once been a heavy burden now became an instrument that enabled the birds to soar and go where they could never go before.

The story is a parable. We are the wingless birds. The duties and tasks that seem like a burden and a trial often become the very means that God uses to lift us up and build godliness in us. God’s plan is for our tasks to be our helpers and motivators. To refuse to bend our shoulders to receive a load is to decline a new opportunity for growth.