People who carry the cross no longer have problems or troubles, but concerns. In daily life, these two things are often considered the same, though they can be distinguished. A problem is the same as a trouble—in English, we use the word “problem” for both. But concern can also be translated as responsibility. We must realize that God matures us—or makes us blameless—through the process of daily life, through various life experiences. If we understand that unpleasant and painful events are God’s way of maturing us, we will not view them as problems, but as concerns.
Furthermore, we will strive to take part in God’s work. God will bring us into contact with many “Lazarus-es,” or people like the one in Jesus’ story—the man who came down from Jerusalem, was robbed, and beaten. The priests and Levites who passed by the scene considered it a problem (a burden), but someone with a servant’s heart saw it as a concern (a responsibility). In Jesus’ parable, the Good Samaritan sacrificed his time, energy, and money to care for the suffering Jewish man. The Samaritan saw this as his concern (Luke 10:30-35).
A person who takes seriously God’s interest in their life will strive to understand and carry out God’s will. They no longer prioritize their interests. They no longer feel their pain, but rather God’s pain. Only people like this can truly serve God wholeheartedly. Unknowingly, many people see God’s work—where they are asked to sacrifice for others—as a problem, and so they avoid it or participate only minimally.
Many view God’s work as something unprofitable to themselves. But when it comes to building a house, buying a car, traveling abroad, throwing birthday parties, or hosting wedding celebrations, they are willing to give their very best. They are eager to work hard for those things because those are their concerns. To them, those are obligations, not problems or disruptions.
At the core, many people view God’s work or service to Him as a problem. They may not say it out loud, but their actions show that they see God’s work as something that inconveniences them, like the rich man in Luke 16:19-31, who viewed Lazarus, who came to his house, as a problem. That’s why he did nothing for Lazarus, not even giving him crumbs from his table. People like this will avoid making sacrifices for true ministry. Of course, they don’t want many Lazarus-es coming to their door—because that would be a significant problem for them. Yet, Lazarus’s coming was the rich man’s way out of eternal fire. Had he done something good for Lazarus, he, too, could have found a place in Abraham’s bosom.
Even if such people participate in God’s work, they give very little of themselves. Ironically, there are even those who turn God’s work into a means of personal gain. In contrast, someone who sees God’s work as their concern will be willing to do anything without limits, while their interests aren’t even seen as problems or burdens. These are the people who take seriously God’s interests in their lives, not their interests in God.
Regarding this, Paul said that to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). In another place, he said, “What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:18). No wonder, for him, prison and suffering were not problems but matters of concern for the sake of God’s work (Acts 20:22-24).
He did not worry about suffering or see it as a problem, because his goal was to complete his ministry. It’s no surprise, then, that Paul saw suffering as a gift (Philippians 1:29). Sacrifices made for the sake of God were a joy to him. So even if he had to give his whole life and possessions, he did not feel like he was giving anything. People like this see God’s work as an honour, and they cannot feel pleased without serving God.