Heartbroken

“I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.” Romans 9:2

The Apostle Paul carried a burden on his back and grief in his heart everywhere he went. It was his concern for people who did not have a personal relationship with Jesus. We all have burdens. Some of us have financial concerns, some have emotional concerns, others have relational issues, some have physical concerns, and many have political concerns. But if we are honest, how many of us can say that we have a true spiritual concern for people who are going to spend eternity separated from God?

Whatever matters most to God should matter most to us. Whatever breaks His heart should break ours. And God’s heart is most concerned about people who do not know His Son. Paul is a great example for us. He not only had a broken heart for people without Jesus, but his heart also stayed broken. The burden never left him. Romans 9:2 tells us that his anguish was unceasing, meaning it never eased up or took a break. He was continuously brokenhearted for the lost.

Most of us run hot and cold, meaning our concern for the lost fluctuates. If we hear a powerful testimony of someone who has come to know Jesus we get fired up, but before we know it, the flames die out and we are back where we started until something else tugs at our heartstrings. We get caught up in the busyness of life and often forget about what really matters – the souls of people and the glory of God.

The Gospel ought to be a tune that we cannot get out of our heads. Our hearts should constantly be humming this tune so that we are ready to share our message of salvation and hope with those God places in our paths each and every day. Our love for Christ should permeate the way we live, saturate the words we use, and infiltrate the way we relate to people.

Father, may the Gospel become the background music of my life, constantly playing in my heart as I live each day. Open my eyes to the opportunities You place in my life to share my faith with others who so desperately need this message of hope and grace. Give me the words to say through Your Spirit so that it is not me, but You speaking through me. Give me a deep love and concern for people so that I don’t get too caught up in myself and miss the chance to be used by You in mighty ways. In Jesus’ name, amen.