Over the past few days, I’ve thought a lot about a powerful song by Hillsong United titled “Hosanna” which includes the lyrics “Break my heart with what breaks yours.” I’ve heard the song many times but have never really taken them personally to heart as much as I have this week.
This is a tough post to write because as I’ve followed the news coverage and read various blog posts & comments about the senseless death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, I’ve realized that I have been lazy and afraid to really let God break my heart with what breaks His.
Before we go any further, if your mind is already wandering in the direction of blaming the current unrest in America on a particular politician, political party, activist group, or any other group or person, please stop. Just stop. It isn’t going to help. If it would help, I would be all for it but it won’t so, again, please focus only on solutions and healing.
Back to our lesson — I don’t know how to stop the unrest or eliminate injustice of all kinds but I do know that the answer is not to think of this as a debate. We don’t solve anything by trying to win debate points or “prove” a technical point. Even if we could prove a point, all we would do is cause the other side to dig in deeper and work harder to prove us wrong. The harder you push, the harder they will push back.
The actual solution is one that isn’t easy or comfortable for us. The first step is to put ourselves in God’s shoes and ask what breaks His heart. We can’t know the heart of God unless we know His word. We have to be in the Bible, searching for messages He wants us to see.
After we start gaining a better understanding of God’s heart, the next step is to try to allow our heart to be broken by what breaks His. This is the most difficult part because nobody, including me, likes to have their heart broken. It’s no fun. It’s draining and painful. But the goal is not to make ourselves miserable. The goal is to become more useful to God, which brings us to the final point.
After we understand what breaks God’s heart and allow our hearts to be broken, the ultimate goal is to do something that will make others’ lives better, ease their burden, and/or bring them joy. This, in turn, will make God smile.
God is the only one who can provide the answers we need to solve the unrest in our country. By first trying to understand what breaks His heart, we will be better equipped to be used by Him in miraculous ways.
As we answer today’s questions, remember not to blame political parties, individuals, or groups. Focus only on how we can be used by God to create healing and peace.
Questions:
- On a scale on 1-10, how well would you say you let God break your heart with what breaks His? Are you satisfied with your answer?
- Why is it uncomfortable for us to dive deep to understand what breaks God’s heart?
- What are some action steps you might take based on today’s lesson to help you allow God to shape your heart?
- Can you think of some specific things you can do this week to ease someone’s burden or otherwise facilitate healing and peace?
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