07/08/2022
Have we ever taken on a duty that is distasteful, or shouldered a hardship, or responsibility, that weighed us down, but, out of necessity, we had to bear? Were our labors meant to help someone in need? There are many things in life that we do simply because they must be done, not because we enjoy doing them. But, if we are doing them out of kindness to someone, and we do these things with a good Christian heart, something wonderful happens as we work at them… we develop a taste for the distasteful, and the burdens we bear for others become light to us, and often a pleasure. If we approach such situations with the caring, and the love of Christ, we find that our love and kindness will reward us. Can we remember such times in our lives?
“but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:31 ESV
Our burden today might be taking someone into our home, volunteering at the local food pantry, serving meals to someone at a food kitchen every day, helping a poor man or woman learn to read, or to develop a new skill so that they can get a job and feed themselves. It might be keeping the grass mowed at church, cleaning the restrooms after Sunday services, or any one of hundreds of jobs that weigh on our free time, strain our bodies, or challenge our pride as we are taught humility through distasteful menial jobs. The key to learning how to experience the miracle of turning our mundane or hard jobs into those we look forward to doing, and which bring us closer to God, and His joy, is to search for Jesus in them; to lay down what burdens us, and to take on the burden of Jesus… to put on the wings of faith.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.””
Matthew 11:28-30 ESV
My mother and father in law had become old, and the daily jobs around their home which they were once able to do handily, had become impossible, or dangerous for them. Something as simple as changing a lightbulb in a ceiling light fixture, mowing the lawn, or driving to church, had become challenges for them. So I stepped in, and took these tasks upon myself. At first this was a hardship. After all, I had all of these same tasks to do at home, but I loved them dearly, and soon I found that I looked forward to my near daily visits, and doing these things for them. What was once a hardship, or a dirty job like cleaning the leaves and debris from the gutters, became a joy because I found they had become true acts of love. Serving someone, or bearing their weight, might seem burdensome at first, but when we find Jesus in our efforts a miracle occurs. Suddenly mowing the grass becomes an extended time of prayer, changing a lightbulb becomes a scripture lesson, and the dirty job of cleaning gutters reminds us of Jesus touching the unclean, and healing the lepers. In this moment we are changed, and our faith explodes from a mustard seed into a beautiful plant.
“So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.”
Acts 19:20 ESV
In Christ, we all have moments of enlightenment when something that we once found to be a chore suddenly became a joy, a food that we found detestable, or unclean, became a delicacy to us, or a person we once disliked became our friend. All of this, and so much more, occurs when we finally see Jesus in these things, and people… there are stories of missionaries who develop a taste for an indigenous food, or who begin to like the town shaman that they once considered evil, simply because the Holy Spirit suddenly opened their eyes to the value of his soul, and they began to share the gospel with him… despite the fact that it might be dangerous to do so.
“Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.”
Romans 14:20 ESV
Are we lifting our heavy loads or exchanging them for the light burden of Jesus? Do we see people, and love them as Christ would have us see, and love them? If we can do this then we will most certainly run and not grow weary, and soar like eagles.
“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.”
Isaiah 40:29 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the burden of Christ that is light, and for His willingness to carry our heavy loads for us. Thank you for replacing our sweat, toil, and distasteful chores with the sweetness of your love, and by giving us the eyes with which you see our neighbors, and enemies. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you who transforms us into joyful givers, and the voice of the gospel to the world. Praised be your name for the miracle that transforms the hard labor in our lives into moments of amazing love, and caring. Merciful are you who sent your Son Jesus to live, suffer, die, and be resurrected to redeem us, and who now sends us into the world with that message of hope, and redemption. Wash us with the blood of Jesus, and remove all sin from us. Allow us to wash the feet of all men, the sick, the filthy, and the wealthy alike, and to do so humbly, and in the same spirit as Christ. Then, when we stand before you in final judgement we pray that you will not see our blemished face, but that of our perfect Lord Jesus Christ who has covered us. Glorious are you Father, and worthy of all glory, worship, and praise forevermore.
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”
Galatians 6:2-3 ESV
07/08/2022 - Our Burdens, and the Miracles within Them
Have we ever taken on a duty that is distasteful, or shouldered a hardship, or responsibility, that weighed us down, but, out of necessity, we had to bear? Were our labors meant to help someone in need? There are many things in life that we do simply because they must be done, not because we enjoy doing them. But, if we are doing them out of kindness to someone, and we do these things with a good Christian heart, something wonderful happens as we work at them… we develop a taste for the distasteful, and the burdens we bear for others become light to us, and often a pleasure. If we approach such situations with the caring, and the love of Christ, we find that our love and kindness will reward us. Can we remember such times in our lives?
“but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:31 ESV
Our burden today might be taking someone into our home, volunteering at the local food pantry, serving meals to someone at a food kitchen every day, helping a poor man or woman learn to read, or to develop a new skill so that they can get a job and feed themselves. It might be keeping the grass mowed at church, cleaning the restrooms after Sunday services, or any one of hundreds of jobs that weigh on our free time, strain our bodies, or challenge our pride as we are taught humility through distasteful menial jobs. The key to learning how to experience the miracle of turning our mundane or hard jobs into those we look forward to doing, and which bring us closer to God, and His joy, is to search for Jesus in them; to lay down what burdens us, and to take on the burden of Jesus… to put in the wings of faith.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.””
Matthew 11:28-30 ESV
My mother and father in law had become old, and the daily jobs around their home which they were once able to do handily, had become impossible, or dangerous for them. Something as simple as changing a lightbulb in a ceiling light fixture, mowing the lawn, or driving to church, had become challenges for them. So I stepped in, and took these tasks upon myself. At first this was a hardship. After all, I had all of these same tasks to do at home, but I loved them dearly, and soon I found that I looked forward to my near daily visits, and doing these things for them. What was once a hardship, or a dirty job like cleaning the leaves and debris from the gutters, became a joy because I found they had become true acts of love. Serving someone, or bearing their weight might seem burdensome at first, but when we find Jesus in our efforts a miracle occurs. Suddenly mowing the grass becomes an extended time of prayer, changing a lightbulb becomes a scripture lesson, and the dirty job of cleaning gutters reminds us of Jesus touching the unclean, and healing the lepers. In this moment we are changed, and our faith explodes from a mustard seed into a beautiful plant.
“So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.”
Acts 19:20 ESV
In Christ, we all have moments of enlightenment when something that we once found to be a chore suddenly became a joy, a food that we found detestable, or unclean, became a delicacy to us, or a person we once disliked became our friend. All of this, and so much more, occurs when we finally see Jesus in these things, and people… there are stories of missionaries who develop a taste for an indigenous food, or who begin to like the town shaman that they once considered evil, simply because the Holy Spirit suddenly opened their eyes to the value of his soul, and they began to share the gospel with him… despite the fact that it might be dangerous to do so.
“Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.”
Romans 14:20 ESV
Are we lifting our heavy loads or exchanging them for the light burden of Jesus? Do we see people, and love them as Christ would have us see, and love them? If we can do this then we will most certainly run and not grow weary, and soar like eagles.
“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.”
Isaiah 40:29 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the burden of Christ that is light, and for His willingness to carry our heavy loads for us. Thank you for replacing our sweat, toil, and distasteful chores with the sweetness of your love, and by giving us the eyes with which you see our neighbors, and enemies. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you who transforms us into joyful givers, and the voice of the gospel to the world. Praised be your name for the miracle that transforms the hard labor in our lives into moments of amazing love, and caring. Merciful are you who sent your Son Jesus to live, suffer, die, and be resurrected to redeem us, and who now sends us into the world with that message of hope, and redemption. Wash us with the blood of Jesus, and remove all sin from us. Allow us to wash the feet of all men, the sick, the filthy, and the wealthy alike, and to do so humbly, and in the same spirit as Christ. Then, when we stand before you in final judgement we pray that you will not see our blemished face, but that of our perfect Lord Jesus Christ who has covered us. Glorious are you Father, and worthy of all glory, worship, and praise forevermore.
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”
Galatians 6:2-3 ESV
Rich Forbes