Finding My Compassion

I was talking with my son the other evening when the subject of salvation came up. "Do good people go to heaven?" was the million dollar question on the table. After a discussion about our innate fallen human condition and what God requires of us as Christ followers, it seemed to sink in that being "good" isn't equivalent to being saved.

I'm not sure where I was expecting the conversation to go, but I was both humbled and convicted by his response. My kind, tender-hearted son looked at me with tears in his eyes, utterly broken for our friends that are "good" people but who don't know the Lord or His saving grace. How deep his compassion for these families! What humbled me in that moment was my lack of compassion. Why wasn't my heart also breaking for these "good" friends and neighbors?

I've long been a big advocate for those that can't help themselves. Animal welfare and human trafficking groups have my patronage, time, and loyalty as we stand up to fight for those who can't fight for themselves. Upon reflection of this conversation, I found that I had quite a laissez fair attitude toward "normal" adults and their salvation choice. Adults, I reason, are free to make their own choices. For better or worse, they are aware of their choices and have accountability for said choices. Furthermore, by the time we reach adulthood our life views are often all but set in stone. Whatever our surrounding influences and life experiences have taught us, combined with our own personality, has set in motion our belief system. As an adult changing your world view is an incredibly difficult and challenging undertaking.

Through this conversation with my son I was made aware of some flaws in my own belief system. While none of the above statements are untrue, the problem is that it lacks empathy and kindness. Why do I lose sleep over sex-trafficking victims but am perfectly content with knowing that my non-Christian friends, despite all their "goodness", have an eternity awaiting them that I wouldn't wish on most enemies? While there are many facets to answering that question, the biggest one for me is my heart condition. The Bible is filled with examples of adults who had lived their whole lives "knowing better" before finding Jesus through a personal experience. Many of these people, completely content in their worldly life, didn't even realize what they were missing until they encountered the One who knew them better than any other. Why couldn't this be true today?

The reality is that the same Jesus who was foretold in the Old Testament, fully present in the New Testament, is the same Jesus we worship today. The same Jesus who knows each of us down to our core and lives in us as Christians. I know that my Heavenly Father rejoices over all souls who join His kingdom and aches for those who are lost. My prayer is that my heart would mirror this posture for all His children.

Everyone desires to be known through their story. May I become more like my son with my heart attitude toward all the "normal" people in this world who also have that same longing to be known. May I serve as an example of how being audaciously loved by the One that not only knows my story but who wrote it before I was born brings me closer to relationship with all who desire something more.

#faithlikeachild