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The Burden of Serving
Numbers 4:49
"According to the commandment of the LORD they were numbered by the hand of Moses, every one according to his service, and according to his burden: thus were they numbered of him, as the LORD commanded Moses."
In the verse above, you will find an interesting statement about serving God. It says, "...every one according to his service, and according to his burden..." God made it clear in this chapter that He gave each person a burden to carry. God did not try to cover up the fact that serving Him would take work, but the results of serving God are great. However, you must realize that if you are going to serve God, their will be a burden in doing so. Let me give you several thoughts about the burden of serving.
First, every way of life has a burden. Don't get this mentality that serving God is the only life that can be burdensome. Christian, you must realize that the world's way of life is burdensome as well. They may not advertise how burdensome their way is, but God tells us in the Scriptures that both the world's way of life and the Christian's way of life can be burdensome. The difference between the two is that God's burden is light for He will help you carry your load.
Second, the burden of serving will grow you as a Christian. You will never grow without serving. Yes, their may be a burden you must carry to serve the LORD, but you will never grow without that burden. A person trying to build muscles doesn't lift a barbell without weights. No, he adds weight to the barbell so he can grow his muscles. Likewise, you must carry the burden of serving if you are going to grow as a Christian.
Third, everyone's limit of what they can carry is different. One of the mistakes many Christians make is they try to do what someone else has done or is doing only to overburden themselves. Just because someone can carry a heavier load than you does not make them a better Christian, God made you with your limit, so carry the amount of weight in serving God as you are capable.
Fourth, everyone has a burden unique to them. God made you to serve Him in a unique area. That means that your burden is unique to you. Only you can best carry your burden of serving. If someone else tried to carry what you carry, then they would fail in carrying as well as you can for you are the only one who can carry your burden the best. This is why it is important for you not to quit and to be in your place of service, because you are the best person to carry the burden in the place of service for which God made you.
Finally, know the limit of what you can carry. Christian, every person has a limit of what they can do in the LORD's work. Don't continue to take on duties and overload yourself to the point that you become bitter at God and the church. Learn to say, "No" when you are at your limit. I would rather you serve God the rest of your life with the load that you carry now than to take on a bigger load and quit serving God. Don't let the idea that you don't want to let your pastor down cause you to take on more than you can carry. Know your limit and don't take on more than you can carry.
If you are going to grow, then you need to find a place of service in the LORD's work. However, be careful about taking on more than your limit will allow you. You don't want to spiritually collapse because you took on more than you could carry. Remember, your load will increase in time, so slowly take on duties of service to the proportion of which you are capable.