Thursday, August 21, 2014

Sometimes as you read and study a book of the Bible and get close to the end of your study a thought crops up in your mind that identifies some issue you’ve seen develop. I’ve had this happen as we’ve been studying the book of Mark. Jesus invited the first four disciples to follow Him and He promised He would make them fishers of men. With a few exceptions it seems they still had not learned how to become fishers of men. In fact they seemed to be insensitive to the needs of others around them, if not oblivious. This whole issue of insensitivity struck me. I know this is fairly common to men, but Jesus modeled sensitivity, and it’s clear He desired to see it evidenced in the lives of His followers. If you are insensitive to the needs of those around you, you will have a hard time reaching them with the good news of Christ’s love and forgiveness. In Mark 13:10 Jesus declared that the Gospel must first be preached to all nations before the end comes. If we are insensitive to the needs of others we will not be highly motivated to take the Gospel to them. Ask God to give you a sensitive heart like that of Jesus Christ so you will be able to feel the hurts, burdens, despair, questions and innermost longings of those you rub shoulders with in daily life. Ask God, as the late Bob Pierce did, “God, break my heart with the things that break Your heart.” Then ask Him for the dedication, discipline and dynamic necessary to reach out and touch others with the love and life of Christ.