Burden Bearing
The price of pastoring that we weren't ready for
By Kelly and Tosha Williams
January 1, 2004
On our first day of seminary, we scanned our lists of scheduled classes: languages, theology, church history. We couldn't wait to dive into learning everything from the nuances of the text to the how-to's of leading. We just knew that we would be receiving full preparation for ministry. Though we didn't notice its absence at the time, neither of us had a class called "Bearing Burdens 101." We don't recall ever talking about this subject. We knew we'd be discipling, teaching, maybe even autographing a few books we would surely write someday. We knew we would be counseling and helping people with issues in their lives. Accidents and tragedies, hospital visits and funeral services are, sadly, to be expected in ministry. Yet we never imagined that our calling would also include bearing the burdens of people who would make a mess of their lives, and then give us the responsibility of helping them through. We never dreamed of all the tears we'd cry and weight we'd carry because of other people's sin. Often repeated sin. We remember the first time a teenager in our church had sex with his girlfriend just after we had finished a series on sexual purity. Our hearts broke as the two began experiencing the consequences. A few years later, newly into our church plant, we were shocked when a man, whom we had spent hours discipling, had an affair and destroyed his family. We also remember the woman whose life was unraveling so fast that she threatened suicide. The weight of these problems was enormous. Years later, we're not so surprised anymore by the hidden burdens that often come uncovered in Christians' lives. Pastoring means serving people, loving them, and teaching them God's Word. We encourage them to live right, even when we're heartbroken ...
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