If we want to be people who help those who are hurting, we first need to open our eyes and hearts. How can we help others if we don’t notice them, or we’re not moved by their suffering? It can be easy to get caught up in our own issues. Our problems sometimes seem so huge that we struggle to see God, let alone the needs of other people around us. Likewise, when we’re in a fun and happy season, it can be easy to overlook the unhappiness and pain of those around us. The Bible uses the analogy of the human body to explain how we’re linked as followers of Jesus. Each part is important, and each part is connected to the body. In 1 Corinthians 12 it says, ‘If one part suffers, every part suffers with it’ (v.26 NIV). Because we’re all connected in God, someone else’s suffering should stir us to help. In Mark 1, we read about a man who had leprosy. At this time, society called people with this disease unclean and didn’t associate with them. When this man approached Jesus, we’re told that Jesus ‘felt sorry for the man, so he reached out his hand and touched him.’ Jesus was moved with compassion for this man. He could see the suffering, and wanted to do something about it. He touched the man, despite the fact that it wasn’t an accepted thing to do. His compassion for this man was strong enough to overcome the boundaries society had created. Sometimes helping those who are hurting means we have to look past other people’s opinions of the person, we might have to associate with people that others label as ‘unclean’, and we’ll probably have to ask God for the eyes to see beyond our own lives too.

What Now?

Ask God to open your eyes to someone who is hurting. If a name comes to mind, write it down and commit to praying for them over the next few days.