Heavy Spiritual Lifting

We have some heavy spiritual lifting to do and we cannot and should not come to the work with weak spiritual muscles.

Those of us who consider ourselves to be pastors and Christian leaders have "heavy spiritual lifting" to do on a fairly regular basis. We preach sermons. We provide counsel. We mentor. We share the gospel message. We visit families in times of celebration and grief. We rebuke and correct. We care for souls. We protect sheep from the enemy. Our work, if we believe it, is a matter of life and death–that is, eternal life and death.

As servant leaders for Christ, we're constantly delving into deep spiritual things with people. Now, we chose this life and ministry. Sure, God called us to it, but we answered that call. Therefore, we must take our responsibilities as pastors and leaders seriously. We will one day present a report to our Master and be held accountable for how we served Him. It becomes all the more important for us to remain vigilant and prepared to meet the daily spiritual challenges that we and others face. And we prepare ourselves by meeting with the Lord every day in deep prayer and meditation. The spiritual exercises we engage in help us to build the spiritual muscle that we require to do the heavy spiritual lifting that's assigned to us every day.

I wouldn't fault the average Christian for not preparing themselves as deeply as Christian leaders. Their motivation and goals are a little different from those who claim to be leaders within the Kingdom of God. The average believer may simply want to become spiritually healthier and serve God from time to time. They may pray a little bit here and there. They might read God's Word. They likely go to church. But the average Christian is like the average gymgoer. They spend a little bit of time at the gym with the simple goal of becoming a little bit healthier. The average gymgoer has no plans of signing up for a bodybuilding or powerlifting competition. And so, the average gymgoer's workout strategy is different from those who desire to compete at a high level. Those competing at a high level must also train at a high level. They will stay much longer at the gym and engage in more workout activities that are at a higher intensity than the average person.

We signed up to be servant leaders for Christ. Pastors and Christian leaders cannot just be like the average Christian who dabbles in prayer and meditation here and there. Our motivation and goals are different. We signed up to help people with their own spiritual lives. Can we really do heavy spiritual lifting with weak spiritual muscles? We must engage in spiritual exercise with greater frequency and intensity. How else will we be able to serve people with God's power if we do not deeply abide in the vine, Jesus (see Jn. 15:1-5)?

I do hope and pray that even the average believer will grow tremendously in their walk with Christ. Everybody has the opportunity to connect deeply with the Lord. May we all take advantage of it. But I speak to leaders in God's Kingdom work: we have some heavy spiritual lifting to do and we cannot and should not come to the work with weak spiritual muscles.

Barnabas the Monastic

Servant of Christ. Husband. Dad. Modern Monastic. I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in modern everyday life. Lives in Canada.