The word carry appears 83 times in the Old Testament and 10 times in the New Testament. In Greek, it means to bear, bring forth, endure, continue, lead, move, or be driven. From three New Testament uses of this word, I would like to share three simple lessons that can help us carry Christ more effectively to everyone, everywhere, and in every generation.
1. Paying the Price to Carry Christ
We are sometimes carried to places we would not choose (John 21:18).
“Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” (John 21:18)
Our Lord Jesus told the Apostle Peter that a time would come when he would be carried to a place he would not choose—ultimately, his death on the cross. In the same way, those of us who serve in ministry often find ourselves carried into places we would never choose by preference. These may be places of danger, persecution, suffering, or even imprisonment.
Carrying Christ makes us deeply aware that one third of the world will be reached through sweat, another third through tears, and the final third only through blood. To be carried where we would not naturally go requires that we set aside personal comfort and embrace the cost of obedience. It is the willingness to pay any price to ensure that the Gospel reaches those who have never heard.
2. Trusting the Lord as Our Only Source While Carrying Christ
We are called to carry neither money nor bag along the road (Luke 10:3–4).
“Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.” (Luke 10:3–4)
This instruction to “carry nothing” is a profound call to dependency. It speaks of carrying Christ without relying on earthly security. We are deeply thankful for the Lord’s provision through generous donors and faithful stewards, which allows us to focus fully on taking Christ to the nations.
Yet to be truly effective in carrying Christ to everyone, everywhere, and every generation, we must also be willing to carry Him with or without provision. Carrying Christ with provision is a blessing. Carrying Christ without provision is faith.
The willingness to go with nothing reveals determination and total commitment to the mission. It declares that our confidence is not in resources but in Christ alone. With so little, God has allowed us to accomplish much. With nothing, may we now attempt the impossible with Him.
3. Praying That People Will Be Carried to Christ
We carry Christ so well that others begin carrying people to Him (Mark 6:54–56).
“And when they had come out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was… And as many as touched Him were made whole.” (Mark 6:54–56)
We have carried Christ to places even governmental leaders will not go. We have brought Him to the remotest corners of the earth and, at times, into the most dangerous regions.
Yet our greatest prayer is that what happened in the New Testament will happen again in our day—that people will begin bringing others to Christ because they recognize Him. We long for the moment when the world will seek Christ not only because we bring Him, but because His presence is so evident in us that people run to Him on their own.
May the Lord work with us and through us, revealing Himself as the Savior, the Healer, the Provider, the Deliverer, and the Answer to humanity’s deepest needs. May people bring the broken, the sick, and the lost to the Christ who is living in us. And may the day come when our labor of carrying Christ to the people results in them immediately recognizing Him and carrying others to the Christ who dwells within us.
May God help us remain faithful in carrying Christ to everyone, everywhere, and in every generation—by paying the price, trusting Him as our only source, and praying relentlessly for the day when people will be carried to the Christ within us.
Wolfgang Lee
