I want the Lord to create in me a burdened heart. In fact, I am begging God for a burdened heart. When I hear the word burdened, I consider it a negative word. It is certainly not a word to be taken lightly. There are several definitions of burdened in the dictionary. It is something that is carried. It is something that is emotionally difficult to bear. It is a source of great worry or stress; weight. It is a responsibility or duty.
Sitting in my college apartment, I can look around at my closet that is full of clothes, my bed, my laptop, my college education, and most importantly my freedom in Christ that guarantees my salvation when I am finally called home to be with my sweet heavenly dad.
And while I take all of these things in, I beg for my heart to be burdened with a heart for the people that can't claim that hope and assurance that they are saved and treasured by the King. The people that don't know Jesus. It's hard for me to sit with all of my stuff my life and not be completely convinced that none of it matters if people in this world don't know the one person that does matter.
If my heart is burdened for the lost, then the lost are people that I carry on my heart. Knowing that people are lost is something that is emotionally difficult to bear. The lost are a source of great worry or stress (an urgency for them to know Jesus). The lost are a weight. But most importantly, it becomes a responsibility or a duty to seek the lost. I want my heart to be burdened like that.
If every single Christian in the world had a burdened heart for the lost, I don't think that there would be very many lost out there. Sadly that isn't the case. In Asia alone, less then 9% of the population know Jesus. That means that roughly 3,797,785,607 people don't know Jesus on that continent alone.
Now I'm not saying that everyone should pack up and move to Asia to tell them about Jesus, (even though that would be legit). Certainly there are people all around us that don't know Jesus and we are near them for a reason. What I want is to be used by the Lord.
I know that the Lord uses those who are willing to be used. I know that the Lord uses those that have a desire to be used. Mine is burning. Why He would use me, I have no idea. I have nothing to offer, and I certainly don't deserve it. But I am going to take the responsibility that He has given me as a believer, and run with it. God will do the rest.
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.----Isaiah 61
I started writing this to get my thoughts out about what the Lord has been teaching me, but I hope it encourages you in your purpose. I want us to live with a sense of urgency. If we know the truth then why aren't we sharing it? Let's start asking God to burden our hearts for the lost and let Him do it. Let's start praying for the nations, the people in our classes, our president, the sick, the broken, the weary, and the lost. Let's actually share the gospel with the people we see everyday. Let's start looking at things eternally and stop trying to think of how we can make ourselves comfortable.
I'm tired of being comfortable.
So I pray that you will join me in the life of being uncomfortable for Jesus. I pray that you will join me in being a prayer warrior for the lost. Let's finish this commission together that God created us to live for in the first place. Jesus is worth it! The adventure is worth it!
I love you friends!
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