JOHN 11:33-36 – When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

THEME OF THE DAY. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME? So, when was the last time we wept, like Jesus, over hurting people revealing our love for people? I mean really entered the suffering of others. Recall the last time we laid aside “personal time” and desires to minister comfort and encouragement to a hurting brother or sister. If it takes us a little time to remember when, we have some serious spiritual issues we need to address. When the love of Christ is controlling His people, the love of Christ flows to His people – For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). Pay attention to what the Apostle Paul states happens in the life of a Christian under the control of Christ’s love – that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. They no longer live for themselves. They begin to see people like Jesus; they begin to feel for people like Jesus; and they put feet into their seeing and feeling by going to serve hurting people.

So, instead of taking time to exhort us to “be like Jesus”, I want us to take a painful turn in a different direction and ask two simple questions. Yes, they may hurt. Yes, they may expose us. Yes, they may bring conviction. And I hope they do all three in our hearts, including mine, leading to change. If we do not practice thorough spiritual self-examination on a regular basis, two things will occur. First, we will deceive ourselves thinking all is well when it is not. Remember these words from the book of James – Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves (James 1:22). The other certain spiritual consequence of not doing regular self-examination and changing our lives if need be is the developing of a hard heart. Our Lord said, “Where sin or lawlessness abounds, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). And here is the fastest way to a cold heart – neglect to do what we know the Lord commands. Be passive, do not be aggressive in obeying the Lord and “spiritual winter” settles into this disobedient Christian. Now the painful, exposing questions we must ask ourselves if we are falling short of being Jesus and reaching out as His Heart, Hands, and Feet to minister comfort and encouragement to His hurting sheep. And they are not mine. They come from Jesus and the Apostle Paul. They will also serve as an abrupt but hopefully profitable end to our nugget moving us to a changed life.

“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46).

“You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?” (Galatians 5:7)

PRAYER: “Father, forgive me for living too focused on myself and blinded toward hurting people.”

QUOTE: “We cannot claim to know the Lord and yet remain detached from people He loves.”