Selwyn Hughes: Burdens

"A question might arise in your mind: where do I give... God often burdens Christians to pray for and give to certain causes. Not everyone will have the same burden. God has given me a great burden for children who have been orphaned, abused, or are in desperate circumstances and that is where most of my giving is directed. With you it might be in other directions: evangelism and the propagation of the gospel, relief for the poor, helping Christians in the developing world to have access to spiritual resources, and so on. Pray and ask God to show you not just how much you should give but also where you should give."

I want to pause and thank many of you who have helped carry my burdens. You have supported me to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. We have put structure in place to help ministries flourish in hard places.

And I want encourage you as you stretch your giving this year to continue to help carry the burdens of workers like me. It starts with your local church and spreads to your community, your country, and the whole world.

When you give, see yourself as helping that worker carry their burdens, and don't be surprised if that worker helps you. Let me give you an example. A friend of mine, named Steven, needed some help with the ministry he serves as board chair.

For the past few years, Steven has helped me carry my burdens through his giving. Recently, I was able to help him in priceless ways with his service. I gave my time to help him carry his burdens. He's grateful. I am grateful. Everyone wins.

When we carry each other's burdens, we advance the gospel and God makes sure someone gets tapped to help carry ours. He's the good Master who makes sure everyone's needs get sorted. Play your part. Stretch this year. Help and be helped.