Is there a Burden?
Have you ever lost something valuable—your wallet, your keys, maybe even a child that slips behind a clothing rack in a store? In those moments, your heart pounds, and nothing else matters until what’s lost is found.
Now imagine how much greater God’s heart beats for people who are spiritually lost. The stakes are eternal. Heaven and hell are real. Every day, people around us are stepping into eternity—some without Christ. That reality should move us. It should give us a holy burden.
For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost. – Luke 19:10
Jesus didn’t come just to perform miracles or teach good lessons. His mission was clear—He came for the lost. If we follow Him, His mission becomes our mission.
My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people… I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ! —if that would save them. - Romans 9:2–3
Paul carried such a burden that he was willing to sacrifice everything for his people’s salvation. He wasn’t casual about the lost—he was broken over them. Do we carry even a fraction of that passion?
The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise… He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent. 2 Peter 3:9
God’s heart beats for every soul. He delays judgment because He longs for people to turn to Him. If God’s heart is patient and compassionate, shouldn’t ours be too?
How can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard?” Romans 10:14
People don’t come to Christ by accident. Someone must tell them. Someone must love them enough to speak. That someone is us.
Here’s the truth: if we don’t carry a burden for the lost, we’ll never act. We’ll keep living in our own little circles, worrying about our own needs. But when God gives us His heart, we start to see people differently—not as strangers, but as souls heading toward eternity.
Pray for a burden. Ask God to break your heart for what breaks His.
Pray for people by name. Who in your life doesn’t know Jesus? A friend, family member, coworker? Call their name before God daily.
Look for opportunities. Sometimes it’s as simple as listening, sharing your story, or offering hope from God’s Word.
Live as a light. Matthew 5:14 says we are the light of the world. Light doesn’t hide—it shines so others can see.
D.L. Moody once said, “Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn’t matter in eternity.” At the end of the day, the only thing we can take to heaven with us is people.
If Jesus carried a burden for the lost, and Paul carried a burden for the lost, then we, too, must ask God to give us that same burning passion. Because when our hearts are burdened, silence is no longer an option.