Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Basilea Schlink
Burdened for the Lost
Have you ever felt an overwhelming sense of burden for someone who’s lost or for the lost in general? I was in the parking lot of a store the other day when I saw a man going into the store and thought, “I wonder if that man is saved.” I am not sure what came over me, but I began to weep for him, thinking that he might not be saved. I have such a burden for the lost, and it is because of the eternity that is in front of them if they die without Christ (Rev 20:12-15). The burdens we carry for the lost today can inspire us to bring others into eternity with us and into the kingdom. Every burden on my heart prepares me for the present to witness out of love and compassion, but the focus is not my eternity as much as theirs. Does that make sense to you?
Eternity in our Hearts
Even unbelievers have eternity built into their hearts (Eccl 3:11), so even the lost have a burden, whether they confess it publically or not. Our burdens are different in a sense because our burdens today must be compared with the eternal glory that’s coming (Rom 8:18). We must set our hearts on eternity in order to live life to the fullest today. This life is only a vapor (James 4:14) compared to eternity, isn’t it? Therefore, we must make every day count, redeeming the days and making the most of every opportunity we’re given (Eph 5:16). Use the knowledge of God’s sovereignty to help you carry today’s burdens in the perspective of eternity. This might even make the burdens seen as productive in the sense that we are being refined as gold, which makes it more precious, because our trials today test the genuineness of our faith (1 Pet 1:7;). This testing of our faith produces perseverance (James 1:3).
When Time Will Be No More
Consider the day when you receive your glorified body. Can you even imagine what that will be like? I can’t. With that in mind, let us learn to count our days, redeeming the time (Eph 5:16), for when Christ comes, bringing eternity with Him, time will be no more for us. Today we run our lives according to a physical clock, but what is time when there are no time limits? That is to say, is time a factor anymore after we have received our new bodies and eternal life? Is it even a relevant subject anymore? No. But today, while it is still today, let us make the most of it and place every burden at the feet of Christ in light of eternity.
