For thought and meditation

[rl69]

And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things."

—Mark 6:34

Sometimes I think Christians regard nonbelievers as the enemy. Preachers will rant and rave about certain sins people are committing. But let’s remember something: behind that sin is an empty, searching, lost person whom God loves.

We are not called to condemn. We are called to appeal to nonbelievers with the message of the gospel. We need compassion. Jesus had it overflowing from His life. He was moved by the needs of others.

When He saw Mary and Martha weeping over the death of their brother, Lazarus, He “groaned in the spirit and was troubled” (John 11:33). That phrase carries the idea of physical, emotional, and spiritual anguish. Jesus is the only one who can accurately say, “I feel your pain.” As He watched Mary and Martha weeping, His heart went out to them. He was in anguish, too. He hurt for them. He hurt with them. And He wept. That’s our Savior.

Jesus knew the same crowds in Jerusalem who cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9) would soon shout, “Crucify Him!”

Yet He felt compassion, saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matthew 23: 37).

Paul wrote to the Philippians, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (2:5). We should seek to imitate the Lord and have compassion.

If we want to be used by God in any capacity, this must be foremost in our minds and hearts—not obligation, not mere duty, not guilt, but a God-given burden for people.

[square butte]

Thank you for the good scripture this morning rl69

[Thundarstick]

Again, without it (compassion) showing love and caring, my testimony for Jesus is dead and will fall on deaf ears! Thank you so much for these reminders!

[Blackwater]

"Sometimes I think Christians regard nonbelievers as the enemy."

This may well be our weakest and most devastating perception. Instead of scorning them, and "shaking the dust," we need to love them as God loved us while we were yet in our sins, and at least be nice enough to them so that they'll not turn aside when we talk to them about salvation. It's a deft technique, and requires developing, but think what would happen if even 1% of us developed the talent for bringing people to Christ who aren't particularly disposed of to come to him? That 1% would be 3,200,000 peope, actively seeking places to lead folks to Christ! What could that mean to this nation ..... and its future???? "Pay it forward" is just a phrase the liberals seem to have commandeered from us, probably mostly because we have left it lay idle for so long in so many ways.

Even .1 of 1% would be 320,000 people! That's one in every 10,000 of us!!! It's never the bulk of people who accomplish things, or achieve great feats. It's always those precious few who grab the bull by the horns, and wrestle it to the ground, hog tie it, and deliver it to the butcher where it can feed us and keep us growing and make us stronger.

Most folks are apathetic, and don't think they can do or achieve much if anything at all. This is about as anti-Christian attitude as we can possibly hold. Our efforts may not yield the results we want, but whatever results, at least we can say we tried. And also, from failure comes rethinking of our plans, and THOSE plans well MAY work out more to our liking. Very few plans work out on first effort. Most have to be rethought and reshaped several times before they get us what we wanted to start with. The only real question is whether we have the determination and actual INTENT to achieve anything at all, or are just faking an effort so we can claim, "Well, I tried." Trying without intent and determination is wasted effort, almost always. We need to toughen up as believers. The naysayers sure are picking up strength!!!

[Boaz]

Thank you rl69 . Has made me do some thinking .