Can we comprehend the pain in the world? Do we dare to? It’s better to be ignored or just stay present in my own little world. Besides, we often get overwhelmed hearing a sad story when our kids come home after school and feel we have no time to stop to care about the homeless guy in town with our merciless schedules. Family is priority and important but we can make them part of our faith journey in wanting to help people needing a hand. Yet often, we are running on treadmills of life spinning out of control. Take kids to soccer, grocery store after, do the taxes, then mow the lawn and finish writing that proposal for that client and paper for the grad program all in three hours before you have to cook dinner. Take a breath we think. Stop look at God. Be still oh my soul. What is He saying? I often can feel guilty when I walk past another homeless guy rather than take the time to really see them. What’s their name and story? I looked at a number of them and when I do I see them I begin to see something amazing at their value and how Jesus cares and knows their name. Some are really hungry for God and want change from their addictions and freedom from their loneliness.
God pleads Seek Me and my Kingdom and all these things we fret about may be added. We are on adrenal overhaul with family dramas playing out sometimes and endless deadlines. We turn the other cheek cause we are immersed in our own stories. At the end of the day, we turn on the news out of mindless habit and watch it in a cold stare as if the trauma was all normal. We don’t have much energy enough to muster at the end of a day to hear or to process what we hear, any of the desperate cries of those starving or surviving devastating war. World hunger is just too much a need to handle! But do we have to go it alone? Or is it to God who lives inside us and will He provide the energy or time to do something? Helping others in need often helps us in life energy and graditude! And why not take the kids with to meet and play with refugee family kids next door? Or go clean an elderly persons yard for free? Kids love raking leaves as long as they can jump in them a few times. Let them jump! They could learn work that helps vulnerable people and diversity and be a friend to perhaps a lonely kid and have fun too! I’m not talking about guilt motivation making it religion and burning yourself out. We all have seasons and you may be the one needing help at this point. Accept it and know your day will come to give too! But maybe it’s too much!
Yes, we switch off. We’ve become desensitized cause it’s just too many traumas and monstrous needs. It’s called the effects of media overload creating compassion fatigue. Too much disaster, war, earthquakes, abused children, starvation! No we didn’t start the fire so why try to put it out. In fact my firefighting friend Bobby told me today, you don’t try to put a bushfire out. You just stop its fuel. You become a master Gardner cutting bush around the fire so it has nothing to feed on. Then you douse the burnt area and let that area burn out to save the rest. We don’t need to put out fires just tend the fields around it to bring a stop to things one person at a time. God will get the fire out.
Though, do we need to get overloaded or even care? We sigh and dig our own holes of isolation. Take care of our own our families and countries and deal with own crisis in our rich nation (some western politicians may say. ) But we miss the blessing of community and other cultures of rich heritage reflecting to us more of God’s creative heart. And maybe one day those we help will give to us when we are downcast and in need. Maybe not, but what a gift to give to God our time and skills as a worship offering! It can get our mind off of our own pity parties when we can give to others chose to think in gratitude of what we have, all riches in Christ Jesus!
Just my life matters and our gain, selfishness will pay off we hear from powerful institutions in our nations. But God said give and it will come back to you pressed down shaken together and running over. If we follow that philosophy for our lives will they be blessed? Many of our nations are blessed and have a rich heritage because they opened their doors to diversity and allowed skillful and hard workers came to our shores. Isaiah talks about the wealth of the nations will come to you. ( Isaiah60) But we are meant to bless Israel not curse and Israel will be a blessing to all nations too. Not just themselves. And now believers are the chosen generation so what are we doing as believers to bless other nations within our nation. The book of Isaiah actually the whole Bible has so many references to the blessings of many nations. Lady liberty can tell you in New York. We give up the blessing when we refuse the nations or cease to help the hungry, downtrodden and war torn. “Rather] is this not the fast which I choose, To undo the bonds of wickedness, To tear to pieces the ropes of the yoke, To let the oppressed go free And break apart every [enslaving] yoke? “Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not to hide yourself from [the needs of] your own flesh and blood? “Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your healing (restoration, new life) will quickly spring forth; Your righteousness will go before you [leading you to peace and prosperity], The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. “Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry for help, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away from your midst the yoke [of oppression], The finger pointed in scorn [toward the oppressed or the godly], and [every form of] wicked (sinful, unjust) speech, And if you offer yourself to [assist] the hungry And satisfy the need of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday. “And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your soul in scorched and dry places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. “And your people will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up and restore the age-old foundations [of buildings that have been laid waste]; You will be called Repairer of the Breach, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.”ISAIAH 58:6-12 AMP We also one day will worship with every tribe nation and tongue the Lamb. Are we getting ready here?
We heal people of broken nations, become the repairer of breech and restore them and whole nations when we start with one eventually together! And find joy in it! What a privilege God gives us! If we hide our talents underground and don’t invest we will be left with nothing Jesus said. Isolation and greed and fear does nothing to produce life, and life to the fullest. Giving brings us new life and healing.
What does God care about? Many times it speaks about in scripture God being compassionate slow to anger and abounding in love…. But to whom? Compassion means compressed passion. He is completely concerned and on His throne able to change whole nations, not standing aloof in some corner of the Universe. We become agnostic in our thinking when we become numb with needs sometimes, but He the God of the big Universe who creates stars every second ( big fiery infernos of intense light) is able to make wars cease and bend the spear. Be still and know He is God! ( Psalm 46). We often sit judging others in our sometimes comfort-oriented complacent lives when He is calling us to ride with His redirection power of strength and HE is not the least bit overwhelmed or getting tired( Isaiah 40). He has compassion on the outcast, one who no one cares, who are they in your world? I will restore you to health And I will heal you of your wounds,’ declares the LORD, ‘Because they have called you an outcast, saying: “It is Zion; no one cares for her.”‘ “Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob And have compassion on his dwelling places; And the city will be rebuilt on its ruin, “Jeremiah 30:17-22. God is slow to anger, abounding in love, compassionate (Psalm 103). He relents for those who fear Him. We understand that but who else did he show compassion to and are we defending the right causes and bring His healing, care and life too!
Gods compassion includes providing for refugees. I understand, some European nations did take too many refugees lately and others aren’t sharing the load. I get that. Yet on closed doors by saying no to all new people outright keep the drug cartels and traffickers out, but this also blocks freedom for honest people seeking a safe haven, and it closes us off to kills desperate people in danger seeking asylum too. Sometimes the wheat needs to stand at the border with the tears to be sifted through. We take little responsibility as majority of refugees live in more poor nations than us that can hardly hold them so why are we complaining. Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan took most in recently. Jordan population increased by 20 percent from refugees in the last 10 years. We pale in comparison. This is a shouldered burden a bit in Europe compatibly, yet Germany compassionately had open arms, so did Sweden, yet closed doors mostly in America. Just saying…we could take more and monitor as well.
But how do we treat those refugees? Should we care? Does God? .. Hebrews 13: 1 Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Or more to the point of His heart, ” Leviticus 19:34 The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
Quite greedy and callous many could say nations who are not receiving refugees. They could say these closed nations to refugees plight are possibly allowing by neglect poor nations in to crumble already with dying economies under the heavy load in impoverished nations. We don’t want blood on our hands and other conflicts to ensue by making boiling pots in already strained resourced Nations. Jordan has no oil for wealth like some of its neighbors. This breeds the thinking of terrorists saying the West doesn’t care so let’s take over these already war torn nations. It’s not too fair. And creates more refugees; a vicious cycle of not caring about refugees keeps the darkness of war get darker like the creation of Isis it may feed. Yes, we can close the doors to everyone looking foreign and haggard quite frankly because we can’t take another refugee on our watery border. Or across our land border; never mind they risked their lives to get here escaping violence, persecution, and war! My prayer is also for violence and war to end there and all refugees to know personally their Creator through Jesus Christ one day. Who better than us and our nations receiving them to show the outcast war torn His love. And refugees are running and turning to Him in droves as He becomes their healer and restorer where in some of these nations they never could here the message of love, truth and hope for their futures!
Hard lines hard stances, me first! You other criminal migrants which who most of you are, maybe never; go somewhere else. Maybe we closed our heart from fear of terrorism. Yet it is proven most refugees with the screening aren’t the ones to commit these terrorist acts cause they are trying to just survive. The proven truth is migrants do not commit most acts of terrorism. Most terrorism in last years in the USA are USA bread and born. Crime will happen with all communities and with immigrants it’s not exempt due to less opportunity for some of them to thrive.
We can change crime by helping employment even. I’ve been helping near the overloaded Zatari refugee camp with Syrian refugees in Jordan. They are people who want to survive and live and raise their kids and heal even open to the Living God. 10 years previous I taught English to Iraqi kids in a school in Jordan after the war in Iraq and the population with all the refugees Syrian and Iraqi increased the population now by 20 percent and their are not as much work open to hold them but no rich nation would take them like Saudi or Emirates or Usa. Jordan has open arms and so how hospitable Jordan is they suffer because of rich countries aloofness.
But frankly it is pure xenophobia ( fear of the foreigner) and propaganda that brings more unrealistic panic and make monsters out of immigrants. Most Western nations this is their calling and gift of God to the world to be hospitable to the immigrant. We can’t throw away our inheritance because of fear! They have so much to teach us the nations and many work hard and have many skills. How can we help them find work, learn the language, find a church? You be the bridge. Faith to help the Samaritan needs to arise my friends. We can’t go on the other side of the street, nose in air. We can do it! (And yes you can teach them to spell immigrants right!)
What is your passion and person you love helping? Wha
Maybe you’ll pray for refugees but they are not your passion like they are a passion for me. You have another role to play in Body of Christ. Should we defend the right people or cause and why? I’ll just live my good moral life and not stir the boat of refugees, or any boat involving pain, and people will see the light in me. Well even Budda did that. What distinguishes is as the Church, the Bride of Christ reflecting Him to those who love God in Christ and follow His cause?
Who does God see and befriend?
We become numb at times to the needs around the world, even our communities, or perhaps our own household. But what does God see, how does He react to all this? What is the cause He upholds and defends? How does He bring justice? Does He care about racism? Or is that just one political parties focus or is it what Jesus want us to fight for love, equality, justice for all? And to be a voice for minorities? That’s all our responsibility from all parties who love Jesus! What lives matter more or less? What does it mean to let justice roll down like the waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream? ( Amos 5:24). Does He care about all the needs and injustices? Who does He defend? It says He lives with compassion which comes up in sometimes the most craziest and unlikely places.
Where does God show compressed passion and how can we follow Him?
He showed it in Hosea to His wayward prostituting Israel; all my compassion is aroused, what can I do with your rejection of Me? ” God committed everything to His people but they gave Him the back of their hand and yet He still pursued them, He grieved over them, yet showed compassion, compressed passion as my pastor puts it in the original meaning of the text. (Hosea 11:8-9. ) He showed compassion on the afflicted ( Isaiah 49:15). He has compassion on all He’s made ( Psalm 145:9. ) He shows compassion to those who don’t deserve it to blot out our sin (Psalm 51:1). Jesus showed compassion to a prostitute turning to follow Him and weeping to give Him her whole life; He showed compassion to a despised Samaritan ( even a despised foreigner) beat up with violence left forgotten on the road. He also showed compassion to a prodigal son returning home by His Father running hugging kissing throwing a party for that wayward squandering but repentant Son. He showed compassion forgiving an adulteress and saving her from an angry pious crowd about to be stoned dragged out of bed ( but where us the man who was also taking part? “When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion and pity for them, because they were dispirited and distressed, like sheep without a shepherd.” MATTHEW 9 )He showed compassion to them all!
We often get caught up in our own defences, arguing our point, fighting for our own families which is good, speaking up for our favorite anything. Maybe we often want to do something to help others in need but don’t know how to help. or what does it matter its too overwhelming so I must just keep and protect my own and stay in my bubble. You can research how to help, investigate opportunities, or invent your own to tutor English to the immigrant next door. All this loving our own is wonderful and its not all bad but where should our focus be? Are we defending the right people in the long run? Are we seeking first Gods Kingdom before our homeland? His Kingdom involves every person nation tongue! Patriotism is great so long as God’s Kingdom is first and we can love others in the national identity God born us into but not think we are better cause that isn’t humility. Different people doing things different don’t mean they are less worthy or human, or a lesser culture.
How can we love God, defend who He defends, and what is on His heart?.
Everything that goes against His Kingdom, is unjust, brings death, violence, “I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse; therefore, you shall choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding closely to Him; for He is your life [your good life, your abundant life, your fulfillment] and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD promised (swore) to give to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.””DEUTERONOMY 30:19-20 AMP He desires to give life abundantly and says the enemy comes to steal kill and destroy but He has come that we may have LIFE in abundance! ( John 10:10).
How do welcome GOD, love what HE loves and defend what HE defends?
We gotta know Him more, His heart. “Let Him who boasts boast in that He understands and knows me, who will devote themselves to be close to Me?” ( Jeremiah 9:24). We feel like we’d go mad to care about everything, but He wants to use us to care about some things. BUT HE also gives us focus of things of His passion that our our own. He can enlarge our hearts and the load falls on Him because we are not Savior but can lead others to the Life Restorer and Healer. I’m not talking about passionate opinion like-with politics. and judging who we hate their opinions, but issues of justice and defending on what GOD defends and what breaks HIS HEART. Ask Him what is worth your energy and calling to defend. If God wants to defend the weak and powerless poor and afflicted, those without a voice and calls us to defend them; shouldn’t we? Why waste our time defending powerful institutions all the time like our political parties, or our companies efficiency, or our universities who are fallable or powerful people like Presidents, celebrities, judges decisions, or even your own opinion on everything? Don’t get me wrong. We need to be voices in and to our governments and need people with integrity to influence and implement life promoting godly bills and laws so stand up and speak up. But maybe our energy should follow with deeds and love too. I know I’ve done this before so talking to self but does it deserve our energy as people will vote who they will vote for and are set in their ways and our opinions may change over time so is fighting worth it? Is it our pride worth defending or rather get the focus on the voiceless who need defence? I’m not talking about arguing cause that-goes nowhere but advocating and informing and exposing lies about…or building relationships with those who need love, compassion, care, help, the poor, the broken, the fearful, the vulnerable.
Maybe He’s calling you and wants to speak through you? Who will go?
Who will speak for the refugee running from war not wanting to leave their culture but desperately trekking miles over snake-infested jungles braving stormy seas risking their lives on tiny rafts for their children to survive and lead a semi-normal safe life free from violence or persecution? Who will befriend them as many are lonely, prejudiced, and different from those who are locals? Who will listen to a minority group in your nations story who needs a listening understanding loving ear because they felt bullied and ostracized by majority groups? Will you get to know someone from a different cultural ethnic or racial background from you and love them to break down walls? Who will call out to speak for those in incredibly scary and broken places who suffered in war, violence, abuse, rape, sexual assault? Maybe it’s you and I know it’s me. Who will be a voice for the first people of our nations who suffered so much injustice as we took the land, the Maori, Aboriginal, Navijo, Lenape, KhoI San, Noma? Who can listen to their stories and reach out to love them? Maybe God is calling you!
Who will speak for the cries of the unborn, of thost enslaved in human trafficking, orphans, grieving, mentally ill, abused kids, of those homeless on your corner? You can’t do everything but everyone can reach one. Hear Him wanting to speak up, loving, giving, freeing, defending! and He can use you the wounded healer, the teacher, the friend, the lawyer, the nurse, the counselor in your sphere of influence!
Who will care about the elderly or visit the sick or help the unemployed who is a hard worker find a job? Is it you? Yes all these things are on the God of the Universes heart! And He does not grow tired and weary and one or more of these things and people He WILL lay on your heart if you let Him. He will strengthen you to not care about just your family. And use you as a family unit. And have much joy and energy to spare.
So we don’t go crazy with needs we become needy we must find our niche. There we can build His kingdom and righteousness and all these other things will be taken care of. We are not to judge what others do as thinking your passion is bigger and more important. But we can pray for other working to defend issues ALSO on Gods heart. It all matters to Him loving the least and speaking out at injustice. Maybe somehow it means approaching governments to hear the voiceless, or praying for government, or bringing the issues to churches cause no one is, ( church in different nations and communities can be blind to some injustices or just uninformed) . Or are you able to teach entrepreneurship to youth in disadvantaged neighborhoods where opportunities are less because of good education and resources. We need opportunities for economic justice as well you savvy business friends.
Maybe its helping a neighbor s son give a good word for someone who is unemployed, or just simply loving and helping the unheard lonely in friendship, or a little finances. We could help legally with advocacy, health, teaching English or paying a month of tuition to get a job for a skilled foreign worker. Maybe we could cook meals for grieving and sick people or house for a time exchange students or missionaries for awhile? Or foster a child or unaccompanied minor refugee? How can we be the Bridge of bringing Gods healing to the poor, afflicted, weak, voiceless? What is your role to play? Maybe you are not skilled in listening or talking and you are good with your hands and can fix a single mom who is down on finances fix her washer, or car, or house? Or clean an elderly ladies house or pull weeds from her garden or paint her decaying fence? Think outside your religious box.
What is your passion in Gods Kingdom advocating for the least of these, being a friend to those who need one or don’t have hope? What about tutoring a disatvantaged gifted kid in math as they job shadow your engineering profession or mentoring it coaching them for free? Maybe we will stop fighting about petty things like who soccer team is better, or whose political party, or overprotecting our isolated me first lives and not losing our life gain the KINGDOM or what church is better and be busy about saving and healing souls and families, nations, community life speak to my selfishness as well. The harvest is plentiful and the needs are out there. who will be His voice, because we are HIs hands, reflect HIS heart and can defend the least of these in different ways and gifts!
Whats on your radar? What need is on your heart or person and how can you use your gifts with your time? What and who does God want you to focus on. We fear maybe be driven One of my favorites lines of my favorite movie, EverAfter, I thought if I cared about something I’d have to care about everything and go stark raving mad! But now I’ve found my purpose and I feel this incredible freedom. It’s a project inspired by you” ( about a wavering prince Henry who is running from responsibility of the throne til he meets and falls in love with Danielle. )
. God our Beloved can help us find our purpose that brings joy and freedom and fulfillment! We can support and pray for other ministries. What little thing that will make big differences? NOTHING is wasted in GODS Kingdom! DO it in and with Jesus as you take your heart to Him. You have no excuses you are not too old, sick, young, gift-less in an old age home, you can write a card to a grieving family or a get well card. You can share love of JESUS with aged and dying or just be a friend to the lonely there. you know whats on your heart.
. JESUS followers expected Him as there leader to abolish injustice by taking-bout the ROMANS and reigning as King. Are we expecting Him to make our worlds so safe and comfortable we are missing those HE LOVES and defends? Are we speaking more if the powerful, our own selfish interests, or reaching our world getting our hands dirty? Maybe we do a bit of all those things! I’m taught to love comfort as growing up in America but it is so different for other people and nations I’ve travelled and lived. There is nothing wrong with the little enjoyments in life but is He first? His Kingdom first? We must ask ourselves daily for opportunities. Do we value and cherish and those HE loves and upholds like the downtrodden not cared for? Evil takes over when good men do and say nothing. Jesus was radical and loving and strong and not overly political if at all. He challenged strongly the Pharisees, loved the downtrodden, ministered to sinners, rescued, taught the disciples in love even when they wanted him to smash opposition, and went to the cross to die to win
He existed in the form of God, yet he gave no thought to seizing equality with God as his supreme prize. Instead he emptied himself of his outward glory by reducing himself to the form of a lowly servant. He became human! He humbled himself and became vulnerable, choosing to be revealed as a man and was obedient. He was a perfect example, even in his death—a criminal’s death by crucifixion! Because of that obedience, God exalted him and multiplied his greatness! He has now been given the greatest of all names! The authority of the name of Jesus causes every knee to bow in reverence! Everything and everyone will one day submit to this name—in the heavenly realm, in the earthly realm, and in the demonic realm. And every tongue will proclaim in every language: “Jesus Christ is Lord Yahweh,” bringing glory and honor to God, his Father! My beloved ones, just like you’ve always listened to everything I’ve taught you in the past, I’m asking you now to keep following my instructions as though I were right there with you. Now you must continue to make this new life fully manifested as you live in the holy awe of God—which brings you trembling into his presence. God will continually revitalize you, implanting within you the passion to do what pleases him.
For then you will be seen as innocent, faultless, and pure children of God, even though you live in the midst of a brutal and perverse culture. For you will appear among them as shining lights in the universe, offering them the words of eternal life. I haven’t labored among you for nothing, for your lives are the fruit of my ministry and will be my glorious boast at the unveiling of Christ!”
Philippians 2:6-13, 15-16 TPT
As we shine this light and humility, 1 Peter 3:15 says but honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. And in all these acts follow, Philippians 1:16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. Also maybe God has called you in this confusing season of tolerance for everything with no boundaries at all to defend His Word and truth which is so needed as His Word is neglected, twisted, and ignored. He wants to use you to speak up and teach in love. Go for it with truth and honor them with love as people God Loves worth knowing truth. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. And to speak out against injustice and evil is also the truth we can defend and must not fear to do it in a caring way. We can expose evil. Ephesians 5:11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. . Psalm 94:16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?Titus 1:9 He must be devoted to the trustworthy message we teach. Then he can use these accurate teachings to encourage people and correct those who oppose the word.
Speak up, defend, love, help, be a friend, go to the weak!
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