Crowd of Cares

2 Corinthians 11:28

….the crowd of cares pressing upon me daily, the anxious concern for all the churches.

Paul’s experiences were hardly to be understood and felt by many believers today, not excluding myself. Never did I realize the significance of what Paul wrote in this verse, “crowd of cares….anxious concern” until recently when I heard about not so good report of a new local church the Lord graced me to fellowship with. One night I was deeply troubled by the “bad news” of that church. However, as I brought the matter to the Lord, the Lord encouraged me that if that local church is truly of Him, a genuine local church, nothing can mar the Lord’s testimony. There may be turmoil or even ups and downs among the saints, but the Lord’s testimony will ever be His testimony, come what may.

For a couple of days, I could not call the brothers for fellowship. But one night I received an email concerning the proposal to visit that church. Immediately I called up the brother and we had a good fellowship; peace was restored within. There are still  misunderstandings on certain matter of doing things, that’s why there is a need for more fellowship among the churches. No room should be given for doubt and suspicion. Trust the Lord and trust one another. Differences in opinion may be there as long as we are human being as we are still all on the process of being transformed.

Pondering over these, the words of Paul, I can understand a little bit. The crowd of cares and anxious concern are genuinely from a heart that cares for the saints and the churches. Otherwise, a step-motherly care will bother not a bit. Genuine care is all that one needs to care for the church.

I now leave all to the Lord, even my care to the care of the Lord. May the Lord do what is in His heart and recover the fellowship, oneness, blending and building of His churches.

The same experiences happen with all the saints the Lord graced me to care for, some new ones, some families and some relatives. The presence of such “crowd of cares and anxious concern” is a manifested sign of genuine shepherding. Minus these, would be an organizational care according to the tree of knowledge of good and evil issuing in death and darkness, a degraded religious way.

Lord, grant me the genuine burden and gracious care to shepherd those You want me to fellowship with.