The Best Christmas Present Ever!

I enjoy reading the newspaper and hearing what is happening in the world, but over the past few years it seems as if there is very little good news that is reported.   It seems to me that the good news has been pushed aside to make room for all the bad news.  Reading and hearing about all the sin and tragedies in society, I have found myself becoming hardened to it all; numb would be a good description of how I have found myself reacting to the bad news.  And that numbness has bothered me. 

This past week, I spent several days visiting and encouraging my brothers and sisters in Christ.  The first day, I visited a friend who is addicted to meth and alcohol.  During our visit she opened up and shared her struggle with me.  As she talked, telling me all that she has been through, I could see that she is really hurting.   Because of her addictions, she has lost her boyfriend, her children, her respect and the life that she used to live; pretty much everything that holds value for her.  She is at the bottom and doesn’t see a way out.  She is scared, desperate and hopeless.

When she was finished sharing, I shared all that Christ wants to do in her life; bring her peace, joy, hope, deliverance, restoration, forgiveness and so much more.   As I talked, she listened intently and acknowledged that trusting Christ was the only hope that she had.   She acknowledged Christ in her head but not in her heart.  As our conversation came to a close, I felt that numbness that I had been feeling about the violence and sin in our society.  As I drove off down the road from the yard where she has been staying, I didn’t like how I was feeling.

As I left, I told her that I would be praying for her.  That seemed to give her some comfort but I could see that she had not surrendered her life to Christ.  I know that she will continue to struggle until she does.  There is just no hope for her except the hope that is found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Two days later, as I was driving back to to encourage more brothers and sisters in Christ, I found myself paying for this friend.  As I prayed, I began to feel a hopelessness for her that I had not felt before.   It was at the point of feeling her hopelessness that I literally broke down weeping.  Weeping for her situation.  Weeping for her loss.  Weeping for the hopelessness that she was feeling.  Weeping for the hopelessness that I was feeling.

After getting myself under control, I realized that I had begun to feel again.  I felt her pain.  I felt her despair.  I felt her hopelessness.  I felt…….   I began to Praise God for taking away my numbness.  I began to Praise God for allowing me to feel someone else’s hopelessness.  I began to Praise God for giving me the Best Christmas Present Ever…..A Renewed Broken Heart for the Brokenhearted. 

Without a broken heart for the brokenhearted, it is impossible to live out I John 3:16-18…..”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.” 

I so want to live out that verse!  I want to live out that verse with a soft heart so that the brokenhearted will see the love of God in me.  After they see the love of God in me, I want them to desire to have that same love of God so that others will see the love of God in them.  And then the others will desire to have that love of God and on and on and on………..

I want to reach the world with the love of God in that verse…………

And so I ask you, do you have a broken heart for the brokenhearted?  If so, Praise God!  I encourage you to go and live out I John 3:16-18.  If not, I challenge you to ask God to break your heart for the brokenhearted.  I challenge you to ask God for The Best Christmas Present Ever!

 

 

Encouraging You Today In Christ!

I would love to hear from you.

God Bless!