So many of us have been built up and taught with the mindset of doing everything on our own. Whether it was the environment that we were reared or life’s experiences, we tend to take the burden or the bulk and carry it around. I’ve learned and continue to learn more and more, about how to be able to stand up straight and stop causing myself back issues. The only way I can relieve myself from having back issues, is by taking the load off of my back. We, as Christians, carry loads that are not intended for us to carry because of not, truly casting that care or burden to the Lord. I learned this concept at an early age. I was married at a very young age and didn’t truly understand that I could not carry the load of everything, on my back.
I was young and just wanted to keep my family together, no matter what. Being that my parents has gotten divorced when I was about three, I placed everything, in my marriage, on me. I didn’t want to have a broken household. I kept everything inside of me, didn’t express how I felt, I just did what had to be done, for everyone. Although, I had been saved and loved the Lord, and had already accepted the call to ministry, I had reached the breaking point in my life at a young age. To make a long story short, I just had to let go, and let God. I really had to realize that I needed to submit to Him totally. Submitting to Him also included casting everything to Him and just trust Him. Carrying your burdens, as well as the burdens of others, will break you down. I had to realize that God had the situation under control and He had it under control before I even experienced it.
It is so evident that within the body of Christ, people are dealing with so many health issues that can be directly attributed to stress or carrying their burdens. I have learned to just: back up, calm down, sit down, and let God have His way. I must trust God with and through the process. Even in serving the sheep, in order to provide effective pastoral care; the pastor has to demonstrate his/her dependency on God, to the body. Providing pastoral care is not based upon the strength of the pastor but it is based upon the power and anointing of God. In other words where the pastor is weak God is strong and mighty. The power and anointing comes only through the function of His Spirit, in order to renew, rescue, guide, and protect the sheep.
Pastor D. Wallace