SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #33 ---- 8/30/98
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
Encouraging One Another as we "Fight the Good Fight"
TITLE: "Handling A Spirit of Heaviness"
Dear Fox Hole Partner:
Greetings in the wonderful name of the Lord Jesus Christ!
What a great day! What a great life! What a great ministry! What a
great God!
I pray that God is blessing you with His caring presence and His
limitless supply.
PRELIMINARY THOUGHTS:
1. As God brings them to mind, please pray for our oldest daughter,
Cindy, her husband, Kevin, and their two-year-old son, Christopher as
they go through the physical and emotional grieving and restoration
caused by her loss this past week of the twelve-week-old fetus she was
carrying. Everyone was so very excited for this new life. They are
missionaries in Bogota, Colombia, South America. Cindy is 38, Kevin is
41, and they so long to have another child.
2. Continue praying that God will provide all resources for our upcoming
trip to Croatia and Bosnia the end of September. We still need about
$2,000 to enable us to pay for pastors, missionaries, and other church
leaders to attend a conference on "Restoring the Nations". My friend,
Jeff Floyd will be speaking on "Rebuilding Through Forgiveness". I will
speak on "Restoring Through Prevailing Prayer".
We are speaking in at least three locations, and perhaps four ---- Sirac
in north central Croatia, Sarajevo in south central Bosnia, and Banja
Luka in north central Bosnia. These are crucial conferences. This will
be our seventh trip since 1995, and we have at least two more scheduled
for 1999.
3. During the Summer months our travel and speaking schedule lightens up
significantly. While it does create financial hardship, it is also an
opportunity for a breather and for refueling.
God is using these days to remind me again of just how rich His manpower
is with all the "no name" pastors and other ministers who will live,
serve, proclaim, and die, with little or no fanfare. The past three
Sundays we have visited three small churches in little nearby towns. Men
like Tom and Robert in towns of about 400 to 500, and Francis in a town
of 44, are classic examples of top quality servants of the Lord who do
what they do simply because of the call and for the joy, rather than the
benefits or advancement they may or may not receive.
I am reminded that for every great preacher whose name appears on big
programs and in flashy glossy magazines, there are ten thousand who will
never be heard of beyond thirty or forty miles from where they live.
But, I tell you this, my friend ---- the angels are raising such bedlam
of joy in heaven over what these people so faithfully do that it makes
the devil extremely nervous.
Brothers, and sisters ---- I applaud you and commend you. You are the
true champions and heroes of the Gospel. Don't worry about the absence
of accolades. Which would you rather have ---- praise now from your
peers, ---- or later from your Master Himself?
Hang In There!
A SPIRIT OF HEAVINESS:
Three weeks ago in my August 10th letter, I mentioned that I felt a
heaviness in my spirit. In fact, here's what I said:
"While this has been a wonderful week, I have been carrying a heaviness
---- a sadness ---- even an inner grieving ---- for several weeks.
"It's not despair, depression, or discouragement ---- not at all. In
fact, I feel I have a pretty fair understanding about the different kinds
of heaviness, what brings them on, and how to detect them and use them
for good."
Subsequent letters and comments, and my own contemplation about that
matter led to my next two letters on "How Far To Rehoboth?" dealing with
digging wells like Esek and Sitnah until you hit a Rehoboth, and "Free To
Be Me", dealing with dreaming big dreams about just how you would like to
serve the Lord in ministry.
Today I want to talk about "Dealing Scripturally With A Spirit of
Heaviness". In doing so, I want to accomplish four things:
1) Identify some Types of Heaviness ---- they are not all the same, and
they are caused by various factors.
2) Illustrate the Spirit of Heaviness ---- using the life of an Old
Testament Minister, I want to pinpoint some specific circumstances that
can create a heaviness.
3) Assure you of Triumph Over Heaviness ---- heaviness, no matter what
type, how long, or how intense, will eventually leave.
4) Give some Practical Steps to overcoming a Spirit of Heaviness.
So ---- here we go!
TYPES OF HEAVINESS:
As with you, heaviness has come upon me many, many times over the years.
However, as I have shared in recent letters, there have been perhaps four
specific times in my ministry when a sense of heaviness literally
overwhelmed me. Also, during those four times of major darkness, God
either enlarged, refined, or changed our ministry.
It was not until perhaps ten or fifteen years ago, however, that I
decided to do some serious scripture study on the subject of "Heaviness",
because I found myself often confused over what was going on ---- I felt
lousy, but it was either over differing things from one occasion to
another, or I just couldn't even tell why I felt so discouraged or
depressed in the first place.
I felt it would be helpful for me if I could detect any kind of pattern
to those occasions. To my surprise, I found at least ten different
things in Scripture that brought on some form of heaviness in the life of
the believer, and especially in the life of the minister.
There are probably more, but let me list these ten:
1. Heaviness of Guilt: ---- This is probably most graphically
illustrated in David's life, especially in Psalm 51 when he uses phrases
like, "I know my transgressions" and "my sin is ever before me" (3),
"Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, and done what is evil in Thy
sight" (4), "Purify me with hyssop" and "Wash me" (7), and on and on we
could go.
Another passage is Isaiah 29:2 where the word there means to be
"lamenting and mournfully distressed" over conduct that required God's
retribution.
Nothing is heavier than unresolved guilt. The heaviness of guilt is a
"heavy heaviness".
2. Heaviness over Cares (of this life) as illustrated in Hebrews 12:1 ,
"laying aside every weight": ----Peter discusses this in I Peter 1:6
using a Greek word describing sorrow brought on by trials and problems.
As a friend once told me, "Life wouldn't be half bad if it wasn't so
daily!"
Interestingly, Isaiah prophetically points to Jesus when he says the
Spirit of the Lord will be upon Him to, among other things, provide a
"mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting". This type of
heaviness ---- a spirit of fainting ---- is a heaviness that makes you
want to Give Out, then Give In, and finally, Give Up. It must be nipped
in the bud quickly; otherwise it can destroy your ministry.
3. Heaviness over Sin: ---- Hebrews 12:1 talks about the "sin that so
easily entangles us". When we find ourselves held captive either by the
failure, burden, and guilt of past sin or by the constant bombardment of
temptation ever before us to sin, it can create a wearying heaviness.
Psalm 119:20 reveals David's heart ---- a heaviness characterized by a
weeping grief over sin, unfaithfulness, and unpredictability toward God,
so strong it even leads to depression. I know of nothing that takes the
spiritual starch out of a minister than a sense of hopeless that he can
never get away from the haunting memories of past sins or the hounding
presence of daily temptations.
James 4:9 confronts the matter of sin toward other believers ----
quarrels, conflicts, uncontrolled appetites for pleasure, lust, envy,
fighting, etc. He demands of us to "be miserable and mourn and weep; let
your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into GLOOM" ---- a
dark heaviness in your spirit concerning your conduct toward and with
other believers.
A careful study of Psalm 51 reveals just what sin does to the man and
woman of God. I will never forget the greatest sermon I ever heard on
the subject preached in St. Louis years ago by Dr. Adrian Rogers, pastor
of Bellvue Church in Memphis, TN. Perhaps at another time, I will list
his points. It was an unforgettable lesson from God's Word.
4. Heaviness From Sorrow: ---- There are times when we have great sorrow
over something ---- a death, a condition, a circumstance, a past failure.
Solomon illustrated it in Proverbs 10:1 by saying, "a foolish son is a
grief to his mother", indicating a weeping grief that brings on
depression.
There are many things that bring on this type of heaviness ---- an
ongoing heaviness that steals our energy, keeps us awake at night and
listless in the daytime, and imprisons our joy.
5. The Heaviness of Oppression: ---- a heaviness that comes from
adversarial factors caused by people, circumstances, conditions, evil
spirits, etc. Jeremiah caved in to this type of attack (see Jer 20), and
even blamed everyone from his mother to God for this oppression.
David went through the same thing, apparently many times as king, but
really exposes this heavy-handed attack in Psalm 69. Look especially at
verse 20 ---- "Reproach has broken my heart, and I am so sick." This
heaviness was so intense that it not only brought on grave sorrow, grief
and weeping, but it affected him physically.
6. The Heaviness of Despair: ---- this is an excruciating heaviness that
is so intense that it leads to hopelessness. It is a heaviness that
causes one to give up, and to have his spirit broken. It is one thing to
have your will broken, but it is quite another to have your spirit broken
---- you lose all motivation to continue, or to even live.
7. The Heaviness of Burden: ---- this is a heaviness that comes from a
compassionate heart so consumed by others, their conditions, and their
need, that one thinks of nothing else, and is held captive by the
question, "Is there anything else I can do?" Or "If only I had . . ."
Or "Maybe I could have . . ."
Paul's statement in Romans 9:2 toward Israel's need of salvation
illustrates this ---- a great sorrow and unceasing grief for their
condition. In fact, those are the words he used ---- "I have great
sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself
were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my
kinsmen according to the flesh . . ."
8. The Heaviness of Lack of Trust: ---- this is a subtle and often
undetected type of heaviness. It is characterized by fearful anxiety and
worry that is created because of the absence of total confidence and
trust. It will keep you awake at night, give you ulcers and high blood
pressure, and will literally steal your intimacy and fellowship with God
if it happens to be a lack of trust in Him.
The automatic consequence of the absence of trust is fear and anxiety.
If you are not absolutely convinced ---- more than just in the mind ----
that God not only Can but Is taking care of you, there will be a
heaviness of fear and anxiousness that will not go away ---- unless you
confess it, reject it, and repent of it.
Even when it exists toward other people, it is just as debilitating. Oh,
how such heaviness drains your physical and emotional energy when one of
your most trusted church leaders betrays you, or your spouse disappoints
you. How devastating it is when trust is stolen from under you by
actions that you cannot explain or understand, conducted often by people,
"closer than a brother".
When you no longer can depend on someone's faithfulness and reliability,
there is a heaviness of anxiety and fear. Take it from me ---- every
time I travel, whether by air or by auto, I am faced with the issue of
trust. And, if I do not trust the tires on my car, my wife's driving, or
the reliability of the aircraft, I am filled with anxiety and fear.
9.Heaviness Of Conduct: ---- This was a "hidden" heaviness for me. I
could not understand sometimes what I was feeling and how I got to feel
that way when fellow believers would do and say certain things. Because
I could not understand it, I had difficulty in praying for them, and I
gradually developed an anger toward them.
Then, as I read II Cor 2:1 and following, I came to understand more
fully. Paul was greatly grieved ---- sad with a capital S ---- so much
so that he declared he would not come to them again with the heaviness of
sorrow. In reading that entire chapter, it appears that, among other
things, Paul's ministry had been misunderstood, and some were rejecting
not only his ministry, but him as well. And, it was spilling out to
other believers.
So, Paul had a "double barreled" heaviness ---- over their attitude
toward his ministry, but also their consequential conduct. For a
minister of the Gospel, often times nothing causes heaviness in our
hearts more than the fickle hearts and carnal actions of our people.
10. Heaviness over societal conditions: ---- such as what I personally
described three weeks ago. This type of heaviness is not only
beneficial, but also to be desired ---- As Long As it doesn't drag you
into the pit of despair or bury you in the bog of hopelessness. The
Bible is so full of illustrations from the prophets to the apostles, that
I won't even try to put a scriptural reference. Jesus Himself was
challenged by a heaviness of spirit over Chorazin, Jerusalem, and a host
of other cities.
ILLUSTRATING A SPIRIT OF HEAVINESS:
The spirit of heaviness is debilitating in itself within the one who
carries it, no matter what type it may be. However, it goes further than
that ---- it affects other people, relationships, and even ministry
effectiveness. This is particularly illustrated in the life of Jeremiah,
based on Jeremiah 20:7-18. Needless to say, I cannot afford detail for
lack of space. So, I trust you will study this event more closely.
God had called Jeremiah to no easy task. And then, to make matters
worse, He gave him a broken heart over the condition of His people.
Jeremiah has just given a word from God that predicted major calamity to
Jerusalem because of their indifference toward God. He capped it all off
with a declaration in the court of the temple that the people of
Jerusalem and surrounding territory were stiff necked and refused to obey
God's Word.
This was not only an indictment against the locals, but also against the
religious system and its leaders, who were given the responsibility of
spiritual integrity. Needless to say, those religious leaders were
furious! Pashhur, the priest, gave Jeremiah a hard time ---- a very hard
time. He had him beaten and then put in stocks in public view right near
the upper Benjamin Gate.
When Jeremiah was finally released, he lashed out at Pashhur and declared
an enormous divine curse on him that would not only affect him, his
family, his henchmen and underlings, but also all of Judah ---- the loss
of life, of livelihood, and of liberty. Babylon, here they come.
Have you ever been there?
Maybe not in such a specific way, but most of us have been in situations
at one time or another where what we saw all around us was so terribly
wrong, and nothing seemed to be going right, even when God had given us
the Word to declare.
Consider three things here:
1. Jeremiah's Reaction to his Rejection ---- I don't know what
perpetrated Jeremiah's consternation over the problem ---- the
terribleness of the sins of his people, the religious hypocrisy of the
religious leaders, or the fact that nobody was paying attention to his
message from God ---- but, whatever it was, I think I've been there
before. So, whether he was grieved over the sins of the people,
infuriated over the corruptness of religious leadership, or filled with
self pity over his having been rejected, he went into a holy spasm and
eventual tailspin.
One thing of which I am convinced, though, is that if Jeremiah had
responded properly to this situation, he would have never gotten into the
mess in which he found himself as recorded in verses 7-18.
2. Reasons Jeremiah developed a Spirit of Heaviness and Depression ----
1) He felt he had been deceived by God (7a; see 15:18).
2) He felt repeated rejection by others (7b: 10a).
3) He felt God had failed him (8).
4) He resented God holding him "captive" to the call and giving him
no other way out (9).
5) He harbored sinful attitudes (bitterness, anger, rebellion, guilt,
self pity, rejection, etc.).
"Felt", "felt", "felt"! Mad, Mad, Mad!
3. Responses Jeremiah had toward God ----
1) He felt dark and despairing bitterness toward God (14).
2) He accused God of irrational unfairness (15-16).
3) He went through suicidal despair (17-18).
One thing that especially fascinates me about this story is what is not
there ---- no ending. No response from God ---- or anybody else. It
just stops with Jeremiah's thoughts of suicide. I can almost hear God
whisper under His breath to the angels ---- "Oh, bro-Ther!"
What a horrible illustration of an intense spirit of heaviness ---- and
from a "man of the cloth"! A man of God! A Prophet, for goodness sake!
May it never be true of you and me!
TRIUMPH OVER HEAVINESS:
Fortunately, and praise to the Lord!, it doesn't have to end there. As
you would suspect, Jesus Christ is the solution to any form of a spirit
of heaviness. He addresses this matter in at least two areas: One is in
Luke 4:18-19 when he quotes from Isaiah 61 pertaining to His ministry.
We see that the ministry of Jesus is Profound, it is Personal, and it is
Practical (just thought that up!). In that it is Practical, it includes
all areas of life ---- "Preach the Gospel to the poor, . . . Proclaim
release to the captives, . . . Recovery of sight to the blind, . . . Set
free those who are down trodden, . . . Proclaim the favorable year of the
Lord."
There is a divergence of opinion as to why He did not complete that
passage, because it certainly does fit His ministry, some of it yet
unfulfilled notwithstanding. As you read the Isaiah rendition you see He
has come to "Comfort all who mourn, . . . giving them a garland instead
of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise
instead of a spirit of fainting (heaviness)."
Shortly after that public announcement and right after He had
commissioned the Twelve and talked to them about true discipleship, He
extends an incredible offer that nobody in his right mind would pass up:
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in
heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and
My load is light." (Matt 11:28-30).
In that invitation I believe you find the keys to triumphing over
heaviness of heart. Consider these five things:
1. His Petition demands our response: "Come to Me . . ." ---- a clearly
emphatic and yet empathetic invitation. Not "think about it" or
"consider it", but just ---- "Come!"
And, notice that the simplicity of the petition is impregnated with
promise by the petitioner ---- "Come! ---- to Me!" As in all cases, the
credibility of a statement and the authenticity of an invitation are
always either ratified or nullified by the one who makes it. In this
case ---- "Come!" . . . . . to Him! It is the Christ Who is calling!
2. Our Condition qualifies our response: "All who are weary (labor)
---- those engaged in "wearisome struggle". And those who are "heavy
laden" ---- those "loaded down and pressed down heavily".
If that is your plight, then you are the perfect candidate Jesus is
inviting. Your condition qualifies you ---- You Are Eligible! Take
advantage of the offer!
3. His Provision Lures our response: "I will give you rest". "You will
find rest . . .". He not only offers Soul rest, but also promises that
you will discover Life rest as well. Many in ministry have accepted Soul
rest, if at least by faith and not practical reality, but few have
embraced Life rest in the actual living applications.
4. Our Submission Qualifies the results: "Take My yoke upon you."
"Learn of Me." Not only does He require Submission to His Will, but also
Admission to His Ways.
"Take My Yoke" ---- there is always the necessity of submitting to His
will. That is the purpose of a yoke ---- to bring the ox into submission
to the will of the master ---- the owner. How else can an ox be
productively engaged in the breaking up of fallow ground, sowing the
seed, cultivating the crop, and harvesting the grain if it is not
submitted to the will of the master?
"Learn of Me" ---- Submission to His Will will always be accompanied by
periods of questioning, possible resentment, and even stubborn resisting
unless ---- Unless we take time to learn of His ways. Once the ox knows
not only What the master wants, but also Why, When, and How, his life as
an ox become much more enjoyable ---- and rewarding!
The degree of our submission to the will and ways of the Father will
qualify the results of our labor in His service.
5. His Disposition Encourages our response: "My yoke is easy." "My load
is light." An easy yoke is comfortable because it fits. Sometimes we
forget that God tailor-makes each yoke specifically for each ox.
When a yoke fits, it loses its sense of weight; it becomes a pleasure
rather than a problem. It also ceases to chafe; it becomes something we
joyfully embrace rather than grudgingly resist.
And it is the disposition of the Father who "doeth all things well" that
encourages a positive response from us because we know deep inside that
He has custom made a yoke for us that is going to be fun to wear and a
joy to endure.
PRACTICAL STEPS TO OVERCOMING HEAVINESS:
None of what I have shared thus far will mean much more than just some
expositional points unless there are some very practical things we can do
to help deal with those times when we are bearing a spirit of heaviness
over something. So, consider these steps:
1. Try to identify the type or source of your heaviness. If you don't
take time to do that, you can easily misread the situation, fail to get
proper strength to endure or relief from the heaviness, and become
frustrated over your condition. When you get frustrated, the natural
thing to do is either withdraw inward, or lash out toward others. So,
take time to try to discern ---- is it a heaviness of guilt? Of the
cares of life? Of sin? Of oppression? Of burden for others?
What type of heaviness are you experiencing?
2. Repent of any sin, action, or neglect on your part that may have
either caused, intensified, or sustained that heaviness beyond God's
intention to use it. Repent of anger with God, blame toward others,
failure to accept personal responsibility, etc.
3. Return to the place where you left or lost the joy of the Lord; it is
that joy of the Lord which is your strength. Find out where you
abandoned the fountain and settled for a cistern.
4. Release your heaviness with all its circumstances, conditions, and
characters into God's care. Take your hands off! It may be that He
can't do anything with it because you insist on holding on.
5. Reject any and every subtle effort of the enemy to tempt you to take
it back. It's not worth having! It costs far too much! Relinquish
ownership. Cut the strings. Burn the bridges.
6. Receive God's total and complete healing, forgiveness, restoration,
reanimation, and energizing to pull you out from under the heaviness and
back onto the road of continual rejoicing. You cannot do it yourself
through the use of some man-made gimmick ---- like reading a new book,
tackling a new project, thinking up a new program, or masking your pain
with positive thinking or phoney words.
7. Rejoice by choice. Rejoicing does not necessarily remove the spirit
of heaviness, but it may. I guarantee you, though, that rejoicing in the
Lord will either remove the spirit of heaviness, or it will fill your
soul with so much love and joy that you won't notice the heaviness, or it
won't matter anymore ---- you'll wear it as a badge of honor and
confidence which the Father has in you.
IN CONCLUSION:
Someday I want to write a devotional book on my "Rhema" messages from
God. The very first one I ever remember God burning into my heart with
power and authority is Psalm 40:1-4. I was a lonely, egotistic, and
uncertain sophomore at a Christian college in the southwestern United
States. I had just moved from the Midwest a few months earlier when my
father took a pastorate in Tucson, Arizona.
In a rare moment of listening to God and wanting to feel God's heart
toward me, He spoke to my heart burdened down with a spirit of heaviness.
'"I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my
cry.
"He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay;
and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
"And He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many
will see and fear, and will trust in the Lord.
"How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust, and has not
turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood."
Psalm 40:1-4
My friend, take it from one who knows ---- a spirit of heaviness is
indeed heavy. It is debilitating, draining, discouraging, destructive.
It saps, sucks, seethes and slaughters. (I'd better quit, here.)
However! A spirit of heaviness is neither permanent nor useless. It
will pass; and when it does, you will find it accomplished a purpose.
If you happen to be experiencing an overwhelming heaviness as described
earlier, give your loving and faithful Heavenly Father full freedom to
show you what you need to see, take you through the process of wading
through the mud, and then set Your feet on solid rock again ---- and put
you to singing to high heaven!
In Christ's Bond,
Bob Tolliver ---- Rom 1:11-12
Copyright August, 1998. All Rights Reserved.
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Hang in there! I'm with you!
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Life Unlimited Ministries
E-mail: [email protected]
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