It's not on your back...

I have noticed a number of people in church carry on as if the whole world is on their back. It is a very hard way to live - this picture is just a faint depiction of it. Bishop David Oyedepo said that: "You cannot look up and down at the same time." Try it and see - can you? Neither could I.

Sadly, beyond what others do, sometimes Mr. & Mrs. Pastor also behave as if the world is also on their backs and hence are not quite "able" or even available to help their members realize that God (still) has the whole world in His hands. For this simple reason, we have no business being weighed down - with our own cares or even others' cares.

Yes, God has called and placed us where we are to support others not to sustain them. Psalm 55: 22 does not say "carry all your cares and the cares of your members and sustain yourself and them." It says: "Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail)." (Amplified) Doing it any other way is making people dependent on you - and the word that comes to mind is "manipulation." God's wrath is against shepherds who do that (& feed fat while the sheep in their care are malnourished) - read Jer 23 & Eze 34.

As Mr. & Mrs. Pastor, it is our duty not just to hear from God and share with His people. God also expects us to teach those around us how to hear from Him directly. When people come to us for counsel, we should encourage them to cast their cares on the Lord and he will sustain them; he will never let the righteous be shaken.* It's not on your back...if you feel as if it is just accept Jesus' invitation for yourself: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.  For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne."**

So I am not misunderstood, let me say this: We must never try to pretend that we do not have any cares ourselves. We are of more use to God's body and to God when we live by example - and that is simply by: "Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully."*** Before long, those around you will learn from you and do the same - imagine how pleased God will be with the fact that we're all believing and living His Word.

Rest your back...and hand your "world of care" to the One Who holds the world.

References:
*NIV paraphrased
**Matt 11:28-30 (Amplified)
***1 Pet 5:7 (Amplified)