15-5

The Tribe of the Transplanted

Did you know that studies show that the heart secretes its own brainlike hormones and has cellular memory? That means that when people receive a heart transplant, they literally receive new sensory responses, cravings, and habits. Crazy right? When you give your heart to Christ, He gives His heart to you. That is why you feel different. You now feel what Christ feels. One of the biggest things that should be growing in you is compassion. "Your heart begins to break for the things that break the heart of God. And that is the heart of what it means to love God with all your heart." Isn't it interesting that Christians are often viewed by the outside world as heartless? It is true, we are not as compassionate as we should be. The good news is we can change that. But it will take a change of heart.

There are countless tragedies in the world, but we overlook most of them because we have never connected a name or a face to them. They are simply numbers. Like this one: "There are a hundred thirty thousand children up for adoption at any given time in the United States, and millions more children worldwide are without families." Millions sounds big, but it rarely hits home. But you put a name or a face with that statistic, and it changes everything doesn't it? Here is the thing: "God knows each of those names. God knows each of those faces. And it breaks His heart. So let me ask you this question: Are you ok with this?"

"If you are in Christ and Christ is in you, you cannot be okay with suffering or injustice or starvation. Why? Because His heart is in you. And His heart beats for the suffering, the victim, the poor, and the needy. If you are a Christ follower, then you have been drafted into an army of compassion that knows o enemy but those things that break the heart of God. And it's not okay to not do something about them."

Having the heart of Christ changes everything. It changes the way we act, and it changes the way we react. "In my experience, it's much easier to act like a Christian than it is to react like one. Anyone can put on an act. But your reactions reveal what is really in your heart. And if you love God with all your heart, you won't just act like it. You'll react like it."

Empathy is feeling what another person feels. As our relationship with God grows, we become more and more empathetic with Him. This is when we become sympathetic and compassionate towards others.

Compassion can change the world. Just ask Joseph. Joseph was a bratty teenager whose big mouth and bigger ego got him thrown into a well and sold into slavery by his own brothers. He eventually landed in a dungeon where he had some time to learn the lessons of compassion and empathy. Evidently he did, because when the Pharaoh's cupbearer was put into the dungeon, Joseph noticed that he was upset and asked him about it. This was a big departure from the self-absorption that lead him to be sold into slavery in the first place. To make a long story short, he interpreted the dream of the cupbearer, who was released shortly after. After some time passed, Pharaoh himself had a dream that no one else could interpret, but the cupbearer remembered Joseph. So Joseph met Pharaoh, interpreted the dream, saved Egypt and ultimately his family (which would grow into the nation of Israel) from famine! Years later, a descendent of Joseph's brother Judah was born in Bethlehem, and we will be celebrating His birth here shortly. We celebrate His birth because Jesus' act of compassion lead Him to Calvary and resulted in salvation for us! Wow. So what would have happened if Joseph hadn't noticed that the cupbearer was upset? What would have happened if he didn't have compassion? Never underestimate an act of compassion.

Each of us has something inside of us that causes us to have compassion. We are passionate people. I don't know what makes you sad or glad or mad. But I know that we are called by God to do something about it. "There is something that breaks your heart because it breaks the heart of God." This is because you have the heart of Christ beating within you right now. "The only question that remains is this: what are you going to do about it?"

Enjoy the Journey