Submitted by David Miller
But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for
them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Matthew 9:36
Motivation is one of the
most important things about the person whom God will use. If you don't are not motivated,
you are not going to do anything.
When it comes to sharing
our faith and reaching out to others with the gospel, we offer up a plethora of
excuses as to why we cannot do it. But in all honesty, the reason Christians
are not sharing their faith is we don't want to be bothered with it. We lack a
simple, basic burden and concern.
Let's see what motivated
Jesus when He saw the needs of the people:
But when Jesus saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion
for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The
harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord
of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." (Matthew 9:36–37)
You can see this pattern
of compassion throughout the ministry of Jesus. He saw the people's deepest
need. He saw where they were hurting the most. He saw behind the façade. He saw
the real cry of the heart. He saw them as sheep without a shepherd, and He had
compassion on them.
So many times, we tend to
get caught up in the “rush” of life.
Soccer games, select softball, work, and ministry (yes, I said ministry)
that we fail to exercise true compassion to those who are around us. We become angry at those who annoy us, bitter
towards those who have wronged us, and distance to those who do not necessarily
share on own views. Outreach becomes
more of hassle than a drive. Church
attendance becomes routine rather than “entering His courts with praise”. The reality is that Christ called us to be
compassionate towards others just as He so perfectly laid an example out for us
to follow. Our ability to reach others
and to make a “kingdom impression” in our families and our communities is
directly related to the amount of Christ-centered compassion that we have for
others. After all, love is of God and we
that know Him, know love. From this
love, true compassion is born.
If God is going to use
you in any capacity, you will have to develop compassion for the lost. After
all, isn't it God's objective to conform us into the image of His own Son?
By this everyone
will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:35 (NIV)
Remember that the Bible
says, "Let
this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5). We
should seek to imitate the Lord and have that compassion, too.
