“I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.”
Many of us know the pain of seeing someone we love make an unwise decision that will cause painful consequences for them down the road. Part of that pain involves the realization of what they will miss out on or what might be closed off to them due to their chosen path. When it’s someone we deeply care about, our attitude isn’t one of smugness, expressed in a “You’ll see,” or “I can’t wait to say I told you so.” Instead, it’s a burden that keeps us up at night.
While using the HEAR method (see below) consider the following questions:
- Are you losing sleep over any of the people in your life that haven’t taken advantage of what our loving God has offered?
- What would it look like if we had such a burden? How would it play out in our day-to-day?
- Take some time to pray that God would awaken a burden in you for the people that He has put in your life.
Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you?
