03 Sep What to do when that’s you…
Happy Wednesday y’all!
Apologies for this being a bit late…I’m enjoying my granddaughter (& my daughter & son-in-law) & somewhere along the way this got to the back burner instead of the front one.
Anyway…I had an interesting overwhelming experience the other day. (No…not holding my granddaughter while she slept, that was overwhelmingly wonderful) But I was in one of those conversations with a younger pastor…and I got “frustrated”…“ apoplectic ” might be a better description…I was overwhelmed with a gut-level aggravation at his circumstances, but mostly how he’d been led to believe was the best way to address them.
I’ll spare you the details, but as God arranged things, the next day I was reading the last few chapters of 2 Corinthians…2 Cor 11 to be exact & near the end, Paul shares how he’s laboured & suffered for the sake of the gospel reaching more & more people. He literally has lived his call from Acts 9 where Jesus says, “I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” – Acts 9:16 But after describing beatings, shipwrecks, stonings, hunger, & deprivations & dangers of every kind he concludes with these words, “Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, & I do not burn with anger?” – 2 Cor 11:28-29
There it was! …the words I had been searching for to describe what I felt for my younger gospel co-worker. I’m convinced every long-serving or long-suffering follower of Jesus feels a burden for the church of Jesus Christ. When a pastor creates a public disaster…we all wear it. When a church falters, fights or fails we all carry the sense of embarrassment. When someone we worship alongside offers a contrary contradictory witness to Christ we all feel the indignity. I’m also sympathetic with Paul. I can’t compare my years in ministry service to his, but I get what he experienced…at least on a smaller scale.
I’m not surprised Paul felt a persistent burden for the churches. His work never let up. He had to respond to many & often conflicting criticisms. Some people thought he was too harsh. Others said he was too weak. Some questioned his credentials. Others compared him negatively to other Apostles or preachers they knew. There were those who didn’t like his preaching. On some days, they just didn’t like Paul anymore. All this for the man who shared Christ with them, loved them like a father, & risked his life, livelihood & reputation for their spiritual good.
It’s been my experience that any disciple who takes following Jesus seriously will tell you of the pressures they feel – pressures beyond their own lives…pressures in the lives of others they know & love. We all know people in crisis; people getting older, sicker or dying; people who simply won’t hear our offer of Christ’s love; people who challenge our trust in Christ; people who believed for a while, but walked away from Jesus & his church. We feel the burden of a cultural shift toward “self” as the greatest good or god. On top of all this, every pastor has their own personal hurts, their own personal mistakes, & their own personal spiritual health to attend to. We are all weak. We all carry the myth that the “grass is greener” in some other paddock or church.
But rather than just gripe or grump about, Paul’s life offers the way toward carrying that burden faithfully.
First…he took those burdens to God in prayer…every struggle, every hardship, every failure, every weakness & God responded to those prayers: Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” – 2 Cor 12:9 Please pray daily for those whose burdens you feel. Pray for those whose faith has fallen among thorns so they might be renewed by Christ in some way. Please pray for the churches in our community & their pastors (yes please keep praying for Living Water & me too!).
Second…he worked even harder for those for whom he felt the greater burden: “…we tell you this as Christ’s servants, & with God as our witness. Everything we do, dear friends, is to strengthen you. – 2 Cor 12:19 Please don’t stop sharing your faith in Christ with those you know & love. Please don’t be discouraged by the lack of response or the hostility you may get in reply. I’m reading a book right now about how Christian organizations retain their focus on Christ & they talk about a missionary agency that deploys servants into countries unfriendly to Christianity. That agency acknowledges that as followers of Jesus were persecuted & put to death for their faith in previous centuries, it could happen to their employed servants in those countries…and they willingly embrace that risk for the sake of reaching people with the saving love of Christ. Please invite those you know who aren’t part of a church to worship or to read the Bible with you…ask if you can pray for them & with them. Keep constant in worship, Bible study, prayer, generous giving to Living Water & beyond and then double those efforts. Where does the church need to be strengthened? Do that.
Finally…I’ve shared that my daily Bible reading has led me through the Psalms. I’ve been blessed every day…especially this one: Ps 119:133 – “Guide my steps by you word so I will not be overcome by evil.” The assumption throughout Scripture is that we will live out what God plants in us by his word. God’s word is all-encompassing & all-consuming…there’s nothing outside its sphere of influence. It speaks to every aspect of human life & is meant to be so much a part of our mindset & heart-deep attitudes that it simply is how we live. As we permit God that unrestrained access to our lives we are assured evil has no foothold in us…it loses its grip on us…it flees from us in fact because of Christ’s power in us.
Here’s a few other things to pray for & take a role in…
- Zoom Bible Study Catch-up
Friday 5th September 2025 @ 1:00 p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting — https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89674789066 — Meeting ID: 896 7478 9066 - 7th September – Sunday – we continue our study of Joseph’s life…From Revenge to Reconciliation. If you’re playing catch-up, or just not sure of the details, please read the whole story Genesis 37-50. It’s a gripping tale & may help you understand some more of what we might have to leave out on Sundays. ALSO THIS SUNDAY — Giving Beyond Ourselves for AFES (The Campus Ministry at CSU) & Morning Tea. I’m reliably informed that’s also Father’s Day!
- Ladies Fellowship 11th September – 1 John 5:1-21
- There are a number of events for women in the pipeline over the next few months…
- Hope in A Hopeless World @ Wagga Baptist Church – Saturday 20th September $30…Talk to Leonie for details
- Wagga Women’s Prayer Retreat @ St Martin’s College CSU – Tuesday through Saturday 18th – 22nd November (details @ this link Wagga Retreat Brochure 2025.pdf )
Other than that…I have a van & a car for sale. Yes…I’d sell either or both. Good condition…we just have too many at the moment. It’s funny really…but I’d like to get them to someone else.
Keep praying!
See you along the way & then in worship!
John
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