Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. God is real because He says He is. I know He is because He has convinced my reasoning faculties that nothing else can be the explanation for His miraculous intervention in my life. He walks with me and talks with me and tells me I am His. Those who deny Him would say all of this is just my internal justification for things which appear beyond my control. And that causes me a bit of pain.
It is Spiritual pain and emotional pain; Spiritual because it affects their eternity. Spiritual because it impacts my relationship with them, with my Savior and with the company I will keep in eternity. Spiritual because the Spirit of God within me cries out for their souls to know and comprehend the height and depth and wisdom of the love of God.
Have you ever had a box of candy which was so absolutely divine that you had the uncontrollable desire to share it with everyone who was close to you? Can you recall taking that box with sparkling eyes and overflowing accolades to every person you thought would possibly appreciate the glorious taste you held? Perhaps you giggled with great delight as their eyes lit up, opened wide and they expressed with the same wonder as you did how terrific this exquisite delicacy was. No pain is experienced there, just joy and exhilaration.
However, no matter how great the treasure, there will usually be someone among those you offer it to who will decline your gracious delights. Maybe it is just human nature. Someone may seem to be predisposed to full outright rejection of any benefit regardless of their total lack of experience with what you bring to their table. Others may have dabbled in some chocolates and their preconceived ideas are flavored by prior undesirable encounters. They too resist the presentation. Many will even be fairly lackluster in their acknowledgement of your enthusiasm. They’ve had good ones before and all the good ones have about the same amount of good as all the rest so yours is probably about the same too.
Sharing the gospel, the Good News, is much like that chocolate experience. Some will delight in this newly discovered relationship. Yet many will range from simple indifference to outright rage that you would suggest they have a need. Those are the ones that hurt you spiritually and sometimes emotionally because you have emotional attachments beyond their need for Jesus and His salvation. So what do you do? You don’t want to hurt, but you have a God given responsibility and desire to offer them the treasure He has placed in you. Someone once said love is worth the risk to be hurt. Jesus has an answer. He said we should “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” If the burden is ours, it may well crush us. His is light and easy. He gives us the burden for souls. We do not save we simply inform. We do so passionately fervently and because we have been given more treasure than it is possible for us to contain.
Pain isn’t easy. It is not supposed to be. Pain means we hurt. Pain is a warning that things are not as they are supposed to be. We know spiritual pain when we get out of step with the plan and process of the creator God whether we understand what that is or not. Spiritual pain is not His plan but it is the result of our walking in ways that stray from His plan, His yoke, His burden. Ease the pain. Walk in His way. Tell someone today that Jesus wants to end their pain.
Thank You for that John.