Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. (Luke 5:18-19).
Sometimes our various ministries, our work for the Lord, can begin to be a drudgery. In my own congregation, I can think of those who are involved in Angel Food Ministry. Getting up early on that Saturday morning of Distribution Day in order to be at the church at 4:30am to unload the truck, as well as the time given up on Saturday mornings by the other volunteers, can get burdensome. For those in music ministry, between the time for rehearsals in the middle of the week, and the early Sunday mornings, it can become time-consuming and wearying. For teachers, there is the preparation during the week for the lessons on Sunday. And, in this midst of this busyness for the Lord, we can find it easy to become self-centered and focused on feeling used or taken advantage of. When this happens, maybe it’s time for a heart check to help us to recognize that what we are doing isn’t really about us at all.
Every week people come into our churches with hurts and heartaches that no one else knows anything about. Sometimes those pains are self-inflicted. Other times they are the result of harsh words from another person, or situations over which they have no control. Maybe a son or daughter has declared they are leaving home… and maybe even leaving their faith, as well. Some may have just received a negative medical diagnosis: cancer or some other serious ailment. Some of the things that trouble people can be minor and others can be life-threatening. All of them, though, are very real to the person who bears them.
I recently read a cry out for prayer, as well as a testimony, from a complete stranger, a woman named Julia, from the St. Louis area, who had a personal story that fits here well. She said, “During June last year, I had the opportunity to worship God in the midst of heartache and chaos. On June 9, I was told at work that one of my close friends was on her deathbed, and I left to go see her. She was already in a coma by the time I got to the hospital, but I knew she had recently given her life to the Lord. Sunday morning I was scheduled to sing on the worship team. While I was on my way to church, I got word that Wanda had passed away.”
“It was less than a week later, during a major summer storm that hit our area, a tree came through our home. The electricity was out and we were displaced for an entire week. I went to church for the second Sunday in a row with tremendous heartache. When the congregation began to sing “Amazing Grace”, I was undone. I was so grateful to know that my God was with me even in the midst of no power, no immediate home, horrific heat that week, and a heart that still ached for my departed friend. While the immediate circumstances were uncomfortable and frustrating, I had higher hope.”
Just like the paralyzed man’s friends in Luke 5, you and I have the privilege of helping to carry people to the Lord. Oh, we don’t usually physically carry anyone. Yet we get to, in a very real sense, lift that person before the Lord by guiding their eyes and heart and attention to Him. We don’t get to hear all of the stories, but those people are out there. So, if you ever wonder why you do what you do in your called ministry, let Julie Ann’s testimony help keep you on track. We serve the Lord for those who do not know Jesus, and who have dozens of unknown problems, who simply need an encounter with God.
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