Equipping Your Heart

God’s workers are special because we are equipped to change the world with a message of love and hope. 

When Paul said we have “beautiful feet” it reminds us we have somewhere to go and something to do. (Romans 10:15, Matthew 9:37)   To accomplish our mission, our greatest tool is an equipped heart, motivated by the same compassion Jesus had for the lost.  What can we do to better equip our own hearts for evangelistic service? 

Matthew 9:36-38 shows the kind of heart that motivated Jesus in His daily ministry. He revealed the dark side of sin while sharing the light of the Gospel message with undeserving people.  As an extension of Jesus today, how can we ensure our own ministry looks like the Lords’ ministry?  1) Equip your heart to see others the way the Lord did.  (9:36) He saw people who were scattered, had no shepherd, were lost and yearning for hope.  Today, do you see the lost this way?  (John 4:35)    2) Equip your heart to feel what Jesus felt.  Matthew said Jesus “felt compassion” or put Himself in their situation and moved to help them.  (Luke 9:41) When is the last time you felt deeply for those who are lost in spiritual darkness.  3)  Equip your heart to pray like Jesus prayed.  (Matthew 9:38) Since this is the Lord’s work, we should always be connected to Him.  Reaping this harvest will come because of God.  But Jesus also prayed that others would go out into the field as well because more helpers are always needed.   If we pray for others, we will naturally be moved towards them. (Matthew 10:5) It is time we equip our hearts to save the lost.

– James Farris, Herald of Truth