SCRIPTURE: “I speak the truth in Christ -I am not lying; my conscience is testifying to me with the Holy Spirit — that I have intense sorrow and continual anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from the Messiah for the benefit of my brothers, my countrymen by physical descent.” (Romans 9:1-3 HCSB)
QUOTE: The nature of humanity, its essence, is to feel another’s pain as one’s own, and to act to take that pain away. There is nobility in compassion, a beauty in empathy, a grace in forgiveness -John Connolly
NOTE:
The more leaders mature, the more value they place on people. When all is said and done, leadership isn’t about strategy, marketing, organization, efficiency, or high-quality products, but about people. Even when people do not respond positively to God’s message, spiritual leaders must maintain sincere love and compassion. There is a lesson here for us all.
Though God is sovereign in all that He does, we must never take our salvation for granted, nor should we fail to be concerned for all people who have not heard the gospel or who have heard but have not responded. To demonstrate God’s eternal love and compassion, we must be empowered by the Holy Spirit to reflect the fruit of the Spirit. However, there is a love that God asks us to demonstrate toward our fellow Christians. It does involve a willingness to give our physical lives. John explained it in his first Epistle: This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers. (1 John 3:16)
ILLUSTRATION:
Jeremiah probably had the most difficult task of any Old Testament prophet. He was asked to proclaim a message of repentance to the people of Judah knowing they would not respond positively. Rather than becoming vindictive because of their hardened hearts and perverse ways, he often wept. “My heart is sick,” he wrote (Jeremiah8:18). He suffered deeply (Jeremiah10:19); he has often been called “the weeping prophet” (Jeremiah 13:17). In the midst of all of his pain, Jeremiah identified with Judah’s sin. Knowing judgment was coming, he pleaded with God that He would act based on His “justice” rather than His “angers” (Jeremiah10:24).
REFLECTION:
Why do some Christians who believe and teach God’s sovereign grace fail to have a passion to evangelize the lost? What are some of the occasions in your life experiences where you have had the most difficulty loving others as Christ has loved you?
TWO YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Samuel 1 – 2, Proverbs 22: 1 – 16