God's Compassion is Greater
Even When Our Concerns Don’t Align with His
Our concerns should line up with those of our Heavenly Father. When they don’t, it’s an indicator that it might be time for a spiritual check up on the condition of our heart.
3 indicators you might be due for a spiritual realignment:
1. Your heart is out of sync with what your mind knows about God (vs. 1-4)
- It’s not only how we appear on the outside that counts, what matters to God is what’s going on in the inside (cf. 1 Sam. 16:7; Mt. 15:8-9)
- When our hearts are not aligned with the heart and mind of God, our thoughts and speech are negatively affected, and we are capable of making poor decisions
Are you like Jonah, whose heart was not aligned with what he knew about God’s grace and compassion? Perhaps your heart is out of alignment in another area such as financial stewardship or relationships. Are you struggling with bitterness, unforgiveness, or gossip? What about holiness and purity? We need to daily pray like David prayed! (Ps. 51:10)
2. You are more concerned with personal comfort than with the spiritual well-being of others (vs. 5-8)
- When personal comfort is the primary source of our happiness, we can become blind to areas in our lives that are not aligned with what matters to God
- As recipients of God’s compassion and grace, we ought to prioritize showing that same compassion for lost sinners
If there was an audit on where you invest your time, energy, and resources, what would it reveal? Are you more concerned with personal comfort than with the spiritual well-being of others? (Mt. 6:21) It’s not wrong to enjoy the blessings God graciously provides. Steward them in such a way that your heart stays happily aligned with what matters most to God.
3. You are resistant to seeing and embracing things from God’s perspective (vs. 10-11)
- When our heart and mind are set on doing things our own way, we will struggle to see and embrace God’s perspective (cf. Isa. 55:8-9)
- Daily engaging with God through His Word, prayer, and His family will help us to prioritize His perspective in our minds and hearts (cf. Ps. 119:18; Col. 3:2; Heb. 10:24-25)
Do you see and embrace people from God’s perspective? All people are created in His image; therefore, everyone has intrinsic value, and everyone needs salvation from the wrath of God.
Let the Holy Spirit realign your heart so that you will fulfill your calling as an ambassador of Christ. We all need to commit wholeheartedly to the mission of imploring people on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God! The good news is He is with us always, and His compassion is greater!
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