The Christian Burden

[Sylv]

If there are stones to be thrown, then I am guilty as charged by the highest voices, but please, hold on to them for just another few minutes, for the measure has been re-drawn by one other than our Savior. Yes sir, a human not from above or pre-scient, one just like us, a man, pure and simple.

Now whatsoever whoever would want to wag about the man, it matters too little, for there are things that you can say and others you cannot, and what follows is one of those you can, because it is expressed not just to those who know but who also experienced it alongside him, and by these words we know that he labored on solid rock and and drew the measure line we are about to see. a man.

2 Corinthians 1:8:9 rephrased slightly:
"We were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead." (Notice the "we"?)

Looks like he and his companions lived on the edge, pretty much close to death, and I guess close to God. I'm starting to worry now about my own intensity of intention and of dedication in my adoration to God .... and Christ.... "to live for him who died for me". Truly. What sort of death am I living? Am I walking in the middle of the path that's narrow or on the edge of it? Am I just kidding me or just living a joke? I'd say I'm taking baby steps, because those stones are way heavy, and it's not just only me, and my!...... there's one thing that I cannot say any more: " I'm not Jesus"....Paul was a man just like me.

Having said that, Paul had his utter burden coming his way always, because I'm sure he wasn't looking purposefully for those troubles (apart from when he had enough and called upon Caesar) so I won't do that either, may God forbid, but I sense it was his fault to some extent for placing himself on Satan's way by praising the Most High and glorifying Christ everywhere that he went, and went he went, traveling like crazy from place to place. I won't do that either, but maybe there's something I can do.

Maybe I can praise God louder, maybe I can glorify Jesus Christ that little bit higher, maybe I can place myself on the way of the sworn enemy by walking on the narrower part of the narrower path. If there anything I can do, I must not not do it...... I must at least try it, otherwise I can't really call that a walk; at it's best I could call it a stroll.

I would advise that you revise this verse again with me, siblings in Christ, and bow to the Almighty God, our merciful Father, and ask Him to guide us and forgive us and hold our hand for just a little bit longer, hoping that our measure is progressing, because we're not just mere men or mere women, we're a people who rely on a powerful God.