A Heart Like God’s

And as Jesus reclined at the table, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:10-13 ESV

Jesus’ deep love for humanity led Him to pursue those who needed His mercy and grace the most. He wasn’t drawn to the rich, the elite, or those in lofty positions. He wasn’t drawn into political issues, never lost sight of His mission to seek and save the lost.

If I take a good, hard look at my own life, I have to ask myself some tricky questions: Who do I hang out with? To whom do I minister? Those who can do something to further my own goals, or those who have nothing to offer in exchange? Am I more concerned with my image and reputation than with helping others? Who am I truly serving? God or man?

The answers to these questions might cause me to squirm, but they are oh so important! If I have chosen to walk with Christ, if my greatest desire is to be like Him, then my heart must be in the right place, ministering to those He holds dearest to His own heart. Unless I sit with others in their hurt, their loneliness, their pain, their brokenness, then my ‘religion’ is cheap.

Prayer: O Lord, give me a heart like yours. A heart that is filled with compassion for the hurting and needy. May my actions be motivated by mercy rather than ambition, my words spoken out of love rather than pretension. May all that I am glorify your name. Amen.

Thought: “Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.”- Rick Warren