“Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.” (2 Corinthians 11:28, KJV)
When I served as an officer in the United States Army assigned as an armor platoon leader in Germany, I was responsible for the maintenance of six main battle tanks, the operational performance of my platoon, and the men under my command. These were all things in the physical realm. Very seldom did I have to get engaged with the emotional needs of our soldiers. Except for ones not happy with military service, the soldiers were free from emotional issues. However, I remember one situation in which one of my privates called me late at night because his mother was ill. I met with him and had to console and find a way for him to contact home, which we had to resolve the next morning.
When I think back to my time of serving as an officer the things that seemed to be such a burden were not that huge. Yes, there was a lot of responsibility but other than physical hardships, concern about successful mission performance, and a few personnel issues, I did not have to carry heavy burdens. I mean these were light in comparison to what I see in the life of the Apostle Paul.
In this portion of the letter, Paul indicated that he spoke as a fool in writing about his background and hardships in the ministry. Paul had a grand heritage as an Israelite. He had a great track record of serving the Lord. He endured numerous physical hardships for the sake of the gospel. Certainly, Paul’s resume was stellar. Yet there was one thing that he added that many, even those in churches, do not fully comprehend.
What did Paul add to these physical hardships that most do not comprehend? It was his burden for all the churches. Paul indicated that besides the external things that pressed upon him daily there was “the care of all the churches.” Paul carried a tremendous burden for all the churches. He likely felt like a parent for these congregations. From reading many of the letters he sent to the churches, we can see that often the letters were to address issues with which the churches struggled. He deeply cared for them.
Every parent understands what it means to carry a burden for their children. These cares are things that tear us up emotionally. The life of the minister is difficult, not so much physically but more so emotionally and spiritually. First, the work of the ministry is spiritual. We who minister in churches do not wrestle in the physical realm but in the spiritual. There is real spiritual conflict into which the Lord calls the minister. It is not an easy battle. The devil seeks to oppose the work of the church in the world. This is an unseen battle that the minister encounters that many in the church do not understand.
Second, the minister is also burdened with the cares of those of his sheep. Most do not realize that the minister carries a burden for every member of the congregation. Some of those in the body are going through deep waters. It may be a personal issue, a health problem, a relationship difficulty, an emotional struggle, a financial struggle, etc. The problems may be a spiritual one requiring counselling. The burdens that the minister must carry can pile up and the only way to carry them without being crushed is for him to experience the grace of God in carrying them. For this reason, every parishioner should pray for their pastor, that God’s sustaining grace would be sufficient to carry the heavy load.
Renewing the Heart 