Desiring a Burden

A daily prayer of mine is to “find a burden for my generation, and fulfill it”. I have been spending more time as of late painstakingly pondering the direction and purpose both of myself and my peers. I am a millennial and thus identify most with millennials, and also have the greatest desire to reach and connect amongst my fellow generation. I suggest you pause here, go read this, written by my great friend. If you don’t understand millennials, this will help.

As I pondered fulfilling a desire to be burdened for others it dawned on me that by simply desiring a burden for others proves we already do have that burden. So what does it even mean you may ask to have a “burden” for others? I would define the term burden as “feeling a responsibility for the well being of others in all aspects of their life," i.e. spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional well being. So then the questions progress to ask, how, and why? To answer this is not entirely simple. The why should be fairly clear to the Christian, because it is our mandate to care for, and love others. We ought to be concerned about others well being at least as much as we care for our own selves. Love your neighbour as you love yourself; the second commandment only next to loving God with all of our being. To answer the “how” will definitely vary based on each unique individual. I can most effectively seek for my own individual burden and how to fulfill that, however, I also feel as though that a part of my burden is helping others find their vocation. 

I greatly desire a time where we can put away our fears of being criticized and judged by others, and will fully pursue the well being of those all surrounding us. I don’t claim to know everything or to have all the answers, but I do claim that through honest and authentic community we will find the answers together, and further our fulfillment within our Christian lives.

If you also have been praying and seeking fulfillment of a burden for others, I welcome your comments, your company, your thoughts. Let’s move forward together. Let’s seek community. Let’s seek the purpose of each of our lives.