BLESSED WITH A BURDEN






GOD HAS BLESSED YOU WITH A BURDEN .







IDENTIFY YOUR DIVINE BURDEN




WHAT BREAKS YOUR HEART?






The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." When I heard these things, I sat down and wept . For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.



Nehemiah 1:3-4




WHAT MAKES YOU ANGRY?





(Moses) saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.



Exodus 2:11-12






WHAT DO YOU CARE ABOUT THAT OTHERS DONT?





Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"


1 Samuel 17:26




I'M BURDENED BY _____________________________.






WRONG WAYS TO APPROACH YOUR BURDEN



COMPLAIN ABOUT IT.

IGNORE IT.

APPEASE IT.





THE RIGHT WAYS TO EMBRACE YOUR BURDEN





1) LET YOUR BURDEN RUIN YOU.





"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined ! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."






2) LET YOUR BURDEN MOVE YOU TO ACTION .




Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me !"


Isaiah 6:8



(From a Franciscan Benediction)

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace. May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain in to joy. And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

Exodus 2:11-12, 1 Samuel 17:26 and Nehemiah 1:3-4