When the Tears Just Don’t Fall

This is somewhat of a follow-up to Laura's guest post about tears.

I really appreciated that post because Laura verbalized a lot of the thoughts I had been thinking lately.

So many times I have prayed and asked God to give me a greater burden for the lost, I've begged Him to give me those tears and a broken heart for those who are facing an eternity without Christ.

But here's the thing.  If I don't tell others the way of salvation, it's not God's fault.

I can't base what I do on how I feel.

To be honest, I often feel nothing.  Maybe you don't have that problem, but I do.

I try to look at the faces I walk past in the store and view them not just as a body, but as an eternal soul.  I try to think about whether that soul will spend eternity in heaven or in hell.  I try to let those thoughts really sink in and create a burning desire to point them to Jesus Christ before it's too late.  But still, so often, I feel absolutely nothing.  My humanity still sees that person as nothing more than a body in front of me, making my time in line last a little longer.

My lack of emotion does not excuse me from obeying Christ's command to preach the gospel to every creature.

I'm sure you've heard the phrase, “Love is an action.”

And it is.  If I love Jesus, I will do what he says. (John 14:15)

And in the case of lost souls, he has told me to give them the gospel.  If I don't do that, I am demonstrating not just my lack of love for them, but a lack of love for Jesus Christ himself.

So, the question I must ask myself is, “Do I love Him?”

If the answer is yes, I cannot wait for the tears to fall.  I must obey not as a result of my feelings, but as a choice.

Feelings are usually secondary to actions.  When we act on our love toward others, the emotions usually follow.

Perhaps my tears don't fall because I haven't acted on what I know I should be doing.  Perhaps when I make the choice to reach out to the lost, a heart that is broken over their condition will follow.

So today, just as I have asked myself “Do I love Him?”, I challenge you to ask yourself the same question.  If the answer is yes, then I simply say to you, “Prove it.”