Do Your Burdens Lead To Anxiety or Action?

Church Family:
Do you find yourself completely immersed in anxiety and worry that makes it impossible to do anything productive? You may be at work trying to focus on tasks or at home trying to spend time with your family, but you find yourself unable to shake the thoughts in your heart and mind that consume you with worry and anxiety. Anxiety and worry can be life dominating and consuming. Many times it is very difficult to break through. What do you do?

Nehemiah found himself in a fork in the road of life to either be consumed with worry and anxiety or prayerful trust (Neh. 1:1-4). He saw a need that he was deeply burdened with and uniquely qualified to meet as a man of God who had very specific skills. As Nehemiah was working in the service of King Artaxerxes, he heard dreadful news from Jerusalem: “God’s people were in great trouble and shame; the walls were down; the gates are destroyed by fire!" This news brought him great tragedy and distress.

Nehemiah had a few choices he could make. He could ignore the situation all together as he enjoyed his life of ease and privilege in the grand city of Susa. Or he could sit in an overwhelmed mind of anxiety and worry which would lead him to further stagnation and inactivity in what God was calling him to do. Or he could take the situation he was deeply burdened with to the “LORD God of heaven” and let the sovereign God lead him in power and promise to fulfill what God was calling him to do. We generally have the same options as we find ourselves burdened with people who are in need or circumstances that seem to be out of control, yet we have been uniquely qualified and prepared to help.

Look to Nehemiah as an example of how to move forward in God-empowered action to meet needs that He puts before us. Nehemiah let himself feel the burden and need of his people which led him to weep and mourn. But he did not stop there. He went to the Lord in prayer and fasting as he was committed to his daily job of being the cupbearer to the king. For about four months, Nehemiah showed up to work every day and did his secular job, not saying anything about the burden on his heart. He prayed and worked, prayed and worked, prayed and worked as he gave his burden to the “LORD God of heaven.”

What needs are you deeply burdened with and uniquely qualified to meet as a child of God? Let those needs create a great burden in your heart and quickly take them to the LORD God of heaven through prayer and fasting. God will clearly move you to bold action as you meet very specific needs that you have been created and prepared to meet. Let me end with that same question again, what needs are you deeply burdened with and uniquely qualified to meet as a child of God?

See you Sunday, worshiping the LORD God of heaven: Steve