Many times over the years I’ve prayed prayers that are risky prayers to pray. I’ve mentioned a few times, be careful what you pray for because you may just get it. One of those risky prayers I’ve been praying a lot this year and in particular this fall is: “Jesus, break my heart with what breaks Your heart.”
This may come as a surprise to some of you, but Jesus is heartbroken.
Jesus is heartbroken over the sin of the world. He came to save us from sin. He died on the cross for our sin even before you or I were born. His Spirit and His body were broken because of what we’ve done that’s sinful, not because of what He did.
Friends, Jesus is Heartbroken over the sin of the world.
I’ve read 2 Timothy a few times this year and in the last week I’ve honed in on 2 Timothy 3 where Paul warns us of the godlessness in the last days. Before I share with you what Paul wrote, I need to say this: We are in the last days. Jesus is Heartbroken over these very things:
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:1-4).
These things are heartbreaking to me too. As difficult as it is to confess, I have been struggling with one of the things listed in a very intense way. I have been without self-control. There is Scripture that says, I do the things I don’t’ want to do (Romans 7:15-20). That’s what has been happening to me.
There are unlimited things we can be without self-control, but I have sinned out of my frustration and anger. I’ve been without self-control at home with my family. Harsh, horrible, and hurtful words have escaped my mouth. My daughters and my husband have been on the receiving end of my lack of self-control, but mostly my husband. And this breaks Jesus’ heart. It breaks my heart too.
Jesus broke my heart with what breaks His heart because He loves me and because I asked Him to break my heart. That’s a risky prayer, my friends.
While I’m not going to share my story today about my lack of self-control, I will say this, this Advent season has been a humbling and a healing season for me.
It’s our sin that Jesus came to save us from and redeem us.
He’s the only One who can redeem us. No one else can do this for us. Not. One. Person. Only Jesus.
“No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them” (Psalm 49:7).
Friends, we are faced with many challenging things right now. Each one of us is being challenged. Please, let’s begin to face our fears, look inward, be brave and ask Jesus what is breaking His heart. Then let’s listen as He speaks. We need to be still so we can hear Him. We need to stop sinning. If you think you are without sin, you are deceiving yourself (1 John 1:8). We all sin and this breaks Jesus’ heart. It breaks others’ hearts too. It should also break our own heart.
My hope for you this Advent season and in the coming New Year is that you will be a risk-taker and pray this prayer: “Jesus, break my heart with what breaks Your heart.”
I promise if He reveals you are breaking His heart with sin, He will be gentle as He guides you through the humbling process to redemption and complete healing. If He reveals others’ sins to you, He will fill your heart with compassion for them so that you can be like Him and be gentle with them as He guides them through the redemption process to complete healing.
Jesus is Heartbroken.
Let’s decide to stop breaking His heart and others’ hearts too. Let’s begin by praying that risky prayer. “Jesus, break my heart with what breaks Your heart.”
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