Your Heart Makes the Difference CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
What makes the difference in other peoples’ lives when we minister to them is something that happens in our hearts. To make a difference, in your heart you need:
Compassion – Matt 9:36 – when Jesus SAW the multitudes, he was moved with compassion – for us, this comes when we look carefully at those to whom we minister – your heart needs to be moved with compassion.
Great Heaviness/Continual Sorrow – Rom 9:2 – this is what Paul had for the Jews – this came on him as the result of prayer for them [Rom 10:1] – the more you pray for those to whom you minister, the more you are going to sorrow for their condition.
A Longing For – Phil 2:26 – this is what Epaphroditus felt for the Philippians as a resulting of working with them in the ministry – the more you and I actually work with others to minister to the lost and newly saved, the more we long to be with them in the ministry.
Earnest Care – 2 Cor 8:16 – this is what Titus had for the Corinthians and it was something that God put in his heart – we should pray for the Lord to put this kind of care into our hearts for the benefit of those to whom we minister.
Affectionate Desire – 1 Thes 2:8 – this is what Paul had for the Thessalonians – it is a desire that supersedes all other desires, even the desires to be with your own family, because you now love the folks to whom you minister, in many cases, more than your natural family.
Abundant Love – 2 Cor 12:15 – this kind of love that Paul had for the Corinthians was so great that it didn’t matter to him that the more he loved them the less they loved him – when you have this kind of love for others, you can really make a difference because you love them in spite of receiving nothing in return.
No Greater Joy – 3 Jn 4 – John got to the place where the thing that brought him the greatest joy in life was seeing the folks to whom he ministered walk in truth – when we get to the place that our greatest joy comes from leading others to Christ and helping them grow in the truth, then our hearts will be unmistakably knit with those to whom we minister.
Conclusion: Find yourself on this “scale” and pray to God that he will give you a heart that increases in love for those to whom you minister.