Latest project: Unburdened: The Secret to Letting God Carry the Things That Weigh You Down, SaltRiver (Tyndale House Publishers).

Resides in: Atlanta.

Currently reading: Bandits, Prophets & Messiahs: Popular Movements in the Time of Jesus by Richard Horsley and The Supernatural Ways of Royalty by Kris Vallotton and Bill Johnson.

Some authors write to teach themselves; was that the case with Unburdened? "Yes there's a whole lot of that in there. In fact, that's one way you can interpret that, that this is a serious message to myself. … I think an awful lot of Christians struggle with this, struggle with being burdened."

Is it really possible in this life to give our burdens to God and walk free in "weightless living"? "It does seem impossible. At the same time, in Scripture it tells us … 'Don't worry about your life. Look at the lilies in the field, look at the birds in the sky.' I've got to believe that (Jesus) didn't tell us to do something that is impossible, so it's an ideal, but I don't know if I really know anyone who is attained that yet. But I do know some people who seem to live much more carefree and much more weightlessly than other people."

If believers would really learn this, it would be quite an example to the world, don't you think? "I do, because I think it's one of the answers that people are looking for. The gospel is good news, and a lot of the world looks at us and thinks, 'Well, they don't really live in a way that's different than me. They have the same worries and anxieties that I have.' And again it's not to say that we have become unrealistic or idealized people who don't struggle with life, but I think there is a certain weightlessness that if we lived that way, the world would look at us and go, 'Wow, there really is a God who can carry their burdens. They really do have a source of help that I don't know about.' "

How can God become what you call our "stress-free occupation"? "The more preoccupied we become with God, the less these things really weigh on us. We can try to carry all our burdens ourselves, or we can turn our focus to God, be fully preoccupied with Him and still carry those burdens, but if we are focused on Him, then the stress of those other burdens starts to dissipate. We realize how big He is, how caring He is, how compassionate He is."

What can we learn from Jesus' example? "He went through days seeing opportunities that God put before Him and somehow discerned those from the obligations that God did not put on Him, and I think that's what we need to try to do. We take on a lot onto ourselves that we feel is our obligation that is not necessarily from God. And we miss a lot of opportunities because we are so focused on our agenda or so focused on our schedule we miss a lot of opportunities that He puts before because we are carrying all these things we weren't designed to carry."

How have you, personally, learned to yield your troubles to God? "It's been a process and I certainly don't write this book as someone who has mastered it. … I think we all have massive trust issues with God. We trust Him in certain areas, but then there's those really deep desires in our hearts, there's really important relationships or dreams that we have that we have a really hard time of letting go and trusting Him. I've learned to ask myself that question, 'What is it about this situation that I don't trust God with?' Even asking that question has helped me kind of take a deep breath, let the muscles loosen in my neck and assume a position of trust. Little by little I think we can do that, and that's how it's working for me."

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