7/16 Strength for Today

Misdirected Drive Acts 20:22 Some things are not wrong in themselves, but when performed in the wrong order they become wrong. A burden is not a bad thing, but a burden that blinds you from God’s will becomes bad. It is hard to believe that a burden could be bad, but a burden, if not carefully controlled, will cause a person to leave what God called them to do. The Apostle Paul had a great burden for the Jewish people. Romans 9:3 shows us how much of a burden Paul had when he said, “For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:” Paul had such a burden for his people that he said he was willing to go to Hell so that they could go to Heaven. Though this was Paul’s burden, having a ministry to the Jews was not God’s will for his life. We find God’s will for Paul’s life in Acts 22:21 when it says, “And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.” God’s will for Paul’s life was to reach the Gentile world; however, he allowed his burden to drive him to the degree that it caused him to waste much time that could have been spent doing what God called him to do. There is nothing wrong with you having a burden, but when your burden drives you, it can cause you to leave God’s will for your life. I have watched preachers allow a burden to take them away from God’s will for their life. They left where God called them to go to another place for which they had a burden, only to regret leaving God’s will. Sure, where they went needed the Gospel. Sure, their purpose in going to where they went was good, but your burden should never be the driving force in going some place, only God’s will should do that. Furthermore, when your burden drives you, it can cause you to waste time. Look at how much time Paul wasted trying to convince the Jews to get saved when he could have used that time to go after the Gentile world like God called him to do. Yes, he certainly reached the Gentile world, but one can only wonder how much more could have been done if he would have stayed focused on what he was supposed to do. If you allow your burden to become the driving force in your life, you could find yourself wasting time on that which God has not called you to do. Moreover, when a burden drives you, it can cause you to make foolish decisions. Paul’s burden caused him to take a Jewish oath. That oath resulted in Paul being bound for the rest of his life. A burden can blind you from what you are supposed to do. It can cause you to justify leaving God’s will for your life. An uncontrolled burden can blind you and lead you away from God’s will. A burden in itself is not a bad thing, but a burden being the driving force of your life can cause you to make some very unwise decisions. Always keep a good perspective of your burden, and only let the Scriptures and God’s will for your life direct you. If a burden comes because you are doing God’s will then that is fine, but always keep God’s will as your top priority. Sometimes, God’s will is not always going to be exciting and flashy, as can be seen in the lives of many of the Old Testament prophets. If you allow your burden to become your driving force, then it will take you away from God’s will when it isn’t producing like you thought. Remember that God is more interested in you doing what He called you to do more than He is in results. If you keep that in mind, then you can keep your burden in its proper place.