My two oldest children helped at a youth rally where Evangelist Matt Downs preached. I was swamped and had a heavy matter weighing on my mind. I chose not to go.
After the rally, my son Caleb came back with a picture of a boy that had caught his heart. I thought, “Why did he take a picture of a kid that we will not see again?” This boy was the high-maintenance kind. He was the “squirm-in-church” kind. He was the constantly-being-told-‘No!’ kind. You know the kind – the kind we are trying to reach every Sunday! Caleb told me the boy’s name was Jurell. As Caleb relayed to me Jurell’s terrible home situation and his need for attention, Caleb broke down in tears. He said, “Dad, before I left, Jurell said, ‘Caleb, I love you!'” Caleb was moved with compassion after the initial night and wanted to return because he saw the need.
I was convicted because of my initial cold reaction to the picture. When I heard about the boy’s story and saw the picture through Caleb’s eyes, his compassion was transferred to me. We need to see the lost through Christ’s eyes of compassion in order to be moved to labor for souls.
Before Jesus saw the need, He was busy serving.
“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom…” Matthew 9:35
Initially, I did not have compassion for the boy because I did not go. Are you being moved with compassion? If not, start getting busy serving. After you start serving, you will start seeing the incredible need of people. Here are some areas where you could start:
• on the bus route
• in a Sunday School class
• in children’s church
• at a teen activity
• at a nursing home
• in a visitation program.
Are you waiting to be zapped with a wave of emotion before you will go soul winning? Do not sit and wait. Start the process by going; and after you go, you will see the need.
After He saw the need, He was moved with compassion.
“But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them…” Matthew 9:36
Notice in Matthew 9 that Jesus Himself was moved with compassion as a result of what He saw. In chemistry, we learn that a catalyst causes a reaction when added to another substance. We possess the knowledge that the lost need Christ and without Him are eternally doomed. Yet many times we are not moved with compassion. Our knowledge needs a catalyst to cause the reaction resulting in compassion. The catalyst that will cause a reaction for compassion is sight. We need to see the need.
Compassion comes when we see the need of lost souls through Christ’s eyes.
When we see the need, we will be moved with compassion to meet the need.
“He was moved with compassion on them…” Matthew 9:36
What is compassion? Is it just an emotion? No. Compassion is a God-given yearning that moves you to invest in the lives of others without the promise of recompense. Compassion is not working up some type of emotion; but, it is allowing Christ’s heart of love to be demonstrated through you. Compassion then motivates and moves one to action. This action is an investment into the lives of others. This investment comes with the promise of eternal dividends.
Will you meet the need?
“..The laborers are few: Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 37, 38)
I am planning to go to Africa in December 2014. It started by seeing some pictures presented by missionary Rodney Myers who invited me to come. I cannot explain the burning in my heart for people I have not yet met in the Dark Continent. But, I believe that after I saw the need, God has moved in my heart a compassion. This compassion will move me to spend thousands of dollars and travel thousands of miles to a people who could never repay me. I am sure I will come back with a greater compassion because I will have seen a greater need in person.
Let’s go and let God thrust us out into the harvest to be laborers for Him!
As I finish this post through eyes welled up with tears, I understand a little better why David Livingstone wanted his heart buried in Africa. May God touch your heart for the souls of this world.
“Mine eye affecteth my heart.” Lamentations 3:51
Do YOU see the need?