My pastor had recently been asking us the question, “Does your heart break for the same things that break God’s heart?” This has been a very convicting question for me. When left to my own devices, these are some of the things that break my heart:
- Not getting what I want
- Not getting what I want when I want it
- Having to struggle or suffer
- People not liking me
- My children inconveniencing me with their disobedience
- My children running a fever on days I have something fun to do
The common theme: Me. My way. My comfort.
If I were going to feel brokenhearted over things that break God’s heart, the list would look more like this:
- My sin
- People who don’t know Christ
- The sick, the lonely, the poor, and the outcast
Therefore, I would trade my sorrow over suffering for joy in suffering for God’s glory. My sadness over not getting my way would become trust in God’s goodness and provision. Rather than feel inconvenienced by my children’s disobedience, I would have an earnest desire to share the Gospel with them. My heart would mourn my sinfulness, ache to share Christ with those who don’t know Him, and overflow with compassion for those in need.
A month ago when I first heard our pastor ask this question, my heart had been breaking over something that I wanted and didn’t get. And before worship, we had heard from a missionary who was trying to raise money to buy Bibles. He wanted give to them to people who desperately wanted to read God’s Word but did not have it available to them. God confronted me with my selfishness that morning. It was clear to me that my heart was not breaking over the things that break God’s heart.
Emotions are tricky. It is hard to turn off ungodly sorrow and trade it for godly sorrow. But I am reminded of John 15:7: If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. I want to be abiding so deeply in the Father that my will is intertwined with His. I want to trust so fully in His goodness and provision that when I don’t get my way, my immediate response is to know it wasn’t best for me. (Even if I really, really thought it was.)
I want my heart and God’s heart to be breaking over the same things. And I’ve got a long way to go.
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