Want a Great Ministry – Become a Burden-Bearer

So often we think that having a great Christian ministry requires us to use great talents in great ways. But if this were true then only certain Christians could claim to have achieved a great ministry. But I have always believed that all Christians can cultivate great ministries regardless of the gifts that God has given them. In fact, if you want to have a great ministry, then do little things that advance the kingdom of God consistently, with the sole goal of bringing glory to God.

I absolutely love and agree with Pastor John Piper’s take on this when he said: “Here is a vocation that will bring you more satisfaction than if you became a millionaire ten times over: Develop the extraordinary skill for detecting the burdens of others and devote yourself daily to making them lighter.”1

Not only will this ministry, of bearing the burdens of others, bring you amazing satisfaction but I contend that it will grow into a powerful ministry, where you might not get much credit for your sacrificial deeds here below, but rest assured that they are being recorded by the Lord and that one day will yield you an eternal weight of glory.

But you may ask what does a ministry of burden-bearing look like. Well, on the surface it is a ministry of self-denial. We must sacrifice our time, talents, and treasury (our finances) to help others who have needs. Some practical ways to be a burden-bearer are to pray for someone’s needs on a daily basis. We can make a phone call to let another person know we are thinking about them. Visiting someone in the hospital can be a source of great encouragement for them. Another practical way we can be a burden-bearer is to give a person a ride to church who needs transportation. Why not be a listening ear to someone who is going through a deep trial. Offer to clean an elderly person’s house. The list is endless.

And not only will you be accruing blessings and treasures in heaven but immense joy here on earth. In their marvelous book, Fearfully and Wonderfully – The Marvel of Bearing God’s Image, authors Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey, share one of the most profound statements I have ever heard on joy. I ask you to take a few moments to contemplate on their amazingly insightful thought: “I have learned that service also opens up levels of personal fulfillment far exceeding any others. We are called to self-denial, not for its own sake but for a compensation we can obtain in no other way.”2 I believe that one facet of this compensation is Christian joy. There is just no greater joy than knowing that when we bear another’s burden we not only put a smile on their face but also on the Lord’s.

My friends – want a great ministry – become a burden-bearer.  

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1 Quotes about Vocation (218 quotes) (quotemaster.org)

2 Brand, Dr. Paul; Yancey, Philip. Fearfully and Wonderfully (p. 64). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.