Posted by giveawayboy on March 31, 2003 at 19:47:01:
In Reply to: Re: Thinking about 'the body' and 'burdens' posted by PS on March 31, 2003 at 17:56:57:
J: What is a 'burden'? This is a phrase that I have heard use, and I have used myself many times. However, I don't know if I really know what it means. Maybe the definition I use for 'burden' is actually something else... Any thoughts?
PS: The word "burden" can be defined a number of ways. We do NOT mean it as an imposed, disagreeable, and oppressive load one is forced to carry against their will. This may well be the first meaning coming to mind, but again, is not what we mean. We need to discuss this at PU in some depth, I think, as I don't have time to do it justice here.
Suffice to say that a God-given burden is a privilege, and must be received as such. It is a precious gift, an honor undeserved, a power divinely ordained, which makes one a direct participant in the will of God for another person, according to God's pleasure and purpose.
Or, described more in terms of recognizing burdens as "ministry gifts:"
The wisdom and power given by God to affect another in a particular situation is accompanied and evidenced by a "burden"--a sincere, fervent desire for the good of another so ubiquitous and pervasive that it cannot be ignored, so crucial and urgent that it must be acted upon, so fused in my own being that I feel the distress or need of the other, so clearly a gift of the heart of God that I embrace it and count it an honor, and so clearly representative of the purpose of God that I judge it in itself a sufficient reason for my whole existence. The weight of this burden I not only choose to bear, but I LONG to bear. The absence of such burden for others is an absence of purpose, meaning, eternal significance, and identity in God. It is the absence of the power and experienced Presence of God in one's life.
Let's talk more about this at PU. :-)
BILL: I was really touched by J's question and Steve's response. I totally agree w Steve and totally resonated w him. I agreed w that 'fused into my own being' part. It's neat since it is fused into us, yet it doesn't feed the ego, when truly recognized it facilitates a real healthy view of who we are in relation to all other beings. We are truly humble in those moments when we glimpse the burden for what it is. It doesn't fill us w pride. Infact, we can get to a point where although we are aware of it, we don't even focus on it.
I could share an example. One time I was praying and I visualized all the people I was praying for tied to me by ropes. I was being made aware that I was praying for them and that in some way my prayers had power. Still the more I visualized these ropes going from me to other people something strange began to happen and I had a slight shift in thought. I began to feel that I was focusing too much on me and the connection to me. Soon, I had another image while the prayer was continuing (it was an hour or so) when I suddenly saw something else which was a wonder to behold. I began to see all the ropes tied to me from other people who were praying for me--and some coming to me from those I was praying for. I soon began to realize that when you pick up a burden you really are doing something powerful but you are also doing something in concert with the entire Body of Christ. In some mystical ways, although your prayers DO HAVE POWER and CAN BREAK STRONGHOLDS, they do not function in themselves. All prayer is BY, IN and THROUGH CHRIST and all prayer is effective and strong IN HIM. So, I began to see me less and the entire Body of Christ more. I began to see how we are all taken up into him and it is truly his entire body bearing that burden, even though at moments, in glimpses it appears localized. I am NOT saying that we don't have to pray as individuals (just like Steve said on Sunday, the balance is the individual and the corporate) but when we do pray as individuals and get our eyes OFF OF OURSELVES, we will begin to see not only who benefits from our prayers, but whose prayers we benefit from and the best part is when you are aware of all those connections and then you just allow them all to get lost in Christ. After awhile you just see it as HIS WORK, and you are happy to be a part. In fact, it is a great priviledge, like Steve also said.
See ya, Bill