One of the biggest temptations that a minister of any kind has is to get “burned out” by the care of everyone’s problems. Especially, when time after time our work is without immediate results and people’s problems hit us with their intensity, it is easy to be burdened down. We truly love and are concerned for others. That is why it is so difficult to see the battles. The compassion wells up and it can become a tremendous burden if we do not know how to deal with it. This situation is common, even if you do not have the ministry of a pastor. It affects all believers who love and are trying to “care” for one another.
There are some direct answers in the Word of God regarding these questions of how to deal with the burdens and how to care for the church. I believe that 1 Peter 5 has specific truth to lift us up and to apply. I have printed the majority of the chapter from the Aramaic translation, so that we can see these keys. Peter begins by exhorting the elders among you to “feed the flock of God.” But God does not leave us without knowing HOW to do that. Let’s look at some of the principles in this chapter.
