Dear Pastor,
One thing I know about life and ministry is that you carry a heavy load. You carry it for yourself, family, friends and for your congregation. Somedays, by the amazing grace of God, it seems like the load is so light that you forget it’s even there and thank God for the joy of the calling. Other times it feels like the load is so heavy it’s going to kill you.
So what can we do with this heavy load?
One thing is that we simply must recognize that we were never called to carry it alone. We need to be yoked to Jesus. He is able to carry anything with ease. He is able to bear up under the weight of the load and yet still shelter us by His side as we walk together with Him.
Second, like Aaron and Hur and Moses, we were never called to carry the load alone. Instead we need people who will listen to us, cry with us and pray with and for us. Ministry is one of those “two person lift” jobs that will injure or maim you if you try it alone.
Third, the heavy load sometimes is made heavier by things we were never meant to carry. Besides being yoked to Jesus and having the aid of God-given co-laborers, we also should pray to recognize what is unnecessary, unhealthy baggage that we need to leave behind.
I prayed for you today, because the heavy load threatens to steal all joy, crush our souls and sentence us to a life of discouragement and misery. But God has a saving plan not just for our souls but also for our overall well-being.
Isaiah 40:31 Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.
Christ is with us, Christ is in us!
Mike j
Pastor Michael Johnson 