There seems to be a tacit agreement that our hearts have a limited capacity to love and care for others. When disasters strike, we watch a few harrowing images and then turn off the news. We think that we've seen enough, that our hearts can't take any more. It would be unreasonable to keep on feeling emotion for all those who are suffering.
But the Bible gives us no get-out clauses for sharing God's heart for justice, and loving others as He loves:
'The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.' (Psalm 145:8-9)
'The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.' (Proverbs 29:7)
“Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.” (Zechariah 7:9-10)
'Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.' (Colossians 3:12)
'This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister. For this is the message you heard from the beginning: we should love one another... This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.' (1 John 3:10-18)
There are no limits on God's love; how, then, can we place limits on our own love for others? If we are searching within our own hearts for a selfless, sacrificial love for others, we won't find it. But if we ask God to give us His heart, ours will overflow with grace and compassion.
Yes, there is loads of messed-up stuff in this world. Yes, it seems overwhelming. But we can't hide our heads under the Christian duvet and just wait for Jesus to come back with our fingers in our ears. We have to hear the cry of the poor and needy; we have to respond. We have to love in deeds and action, not just with words and grand sentiment. It's tough. It's so hard to avoid hypocrisy. But if we give up, we've lost sight of God's heart and that's a terrible, scary place to be - even more terrible and scary than facing the truth about the sin and brokenness in our world, and the Saviour who is the only One who can heal it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment