Having God's heart for others

“And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you.”

1 Thessalonians 3:12 [KJV]

I recently watched a YouTube video that showed different people doing ‘kind’ things for others.  A man helped someone change a punctured car tyre. A young woman paid for a stranger’s coffee. However, the woman immediately turned to the camera and said, “I’m so proud of myself, the way I showed love…”

Wait a moment, I thought, was it an act of love? The woman’s words and posture implied that her action was just a social media stunt, motivated by how it made her feel. But the stranger did receive a free coffee, so it was still a nice thing to do, right? After all, thousands of volunteers also do good things for egotistical reasons. Millions of dollars are donated each year to Australian charities because the government offers like-for-like tax reductions. Corporations and celebrities promote doing good to help their public image. And, if we are honest with ourselves, we’re all more likely to keep giving time or money to things that make us feel good about ourselves. Governments, corporations, charities, some churches and society generally don’t care about people’s motivations. Why should Christians care?

But our standards are not set by governments, corporations, charities, societies or even churches. God sets the standard for how we should interact with others, and He says that our heart is the most important component of our service for God or others. Giving a cup of water in Jesus’ name will be rewarded (Mark 9:41), but actions done to impress other people will not (Matthew 6:6). We are told, “the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7b). Our actions might outwardly look kind, but God sees and judges our motives. God desires us to have a heart for others, and the greatest example of someone who genuinely cared about people is the Lord Jesus Christ. Four times, the Gospels record that Jesus was ‘moved with compassion’ towards people (Matthew 9:36, 14:14, Mark 1:41, 6:34). Each time, this motivated His service: He encouraged his disciples to pray for labourers for the harvest, healed the sick, cured the leper and taught the people. Jesus also wept over the death of Lazarus (John 11:35), and can’t you hear the tears in His voice as He looked over the rebellious city, and cried, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem… how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings…” (Matthew 23:37).

I look at His example, and then I read Jesus’ words in John 13:34, “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” The apostle Peter says, “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21b). Paul tells us we should have “bowels of mercies” for others (Colossians 3:12), and that our hearts should “abound in love one toward another” (1 Thessalonians 3:12). Then I look at my own actions [heart]. I see how often I’m afraid to serve others because I’m worried, I will get hurt. I see how easily I am overwhelmed by my own needs, let alone anyone else’s. I see how fickle (and hormone-dependent) my emotional response toward others is. I see how often I just don’t think about others with whom I don’t feel have much in common.  Where, oh where, is my heart for others?

This week, I’ve been praying a simple prayer that was shared in a recent Bible Study I attended. “Lord, give me your heart to care for others.” I looked up verses on this topic, and one of the ones I read was 1 Thessalonians 3:12, in which Paul says, “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you.” Let’s look at this verse more closely.

“And the Lord make you increase and abound in love…” Only God can create a heart that genuinely cares for others and has pure motives for serving others. Paul testified of this in his own life: it was an encounter with God that turned Saul the destroyer and murderer into Paul the evangelist who mothered new believers (1 Thessalonians 2:7). Ephesians 4:32 tells us the primary motivation and enablement is God’s love shown for us: “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” When we are out of alignment with God, we unsurprisingly become hardened to other people. We refuse to consider how our sin is affecting others. But when we are loving and obeying God, Galatians 5:22 tells us love and gentleness are fruit the Spirit produces in our lives. I might not wake up tomorrow filled with a heart of compassion for others, but God will keep working in me to develop my love for others.

“…one toward another, and toward all men…” Lest you think that verse permits you to be mean towards that one lady who does everything better than you (and lets you know about it), no, all includes all people. Every person.

“…even as we do toward you…” The ‘we’ Paul is referring to included himself, Silvanus and Timothy (1 Thessalonians 1:1). There is much we could say about each of these men’s hearts for others, but here are a few thoughts about characteristics of Paul’s life. Firstly, Paul was 100% God-focused and committed to doing God’s will (Philippians 3:8). His care for others flowed from his consciousness of how much God had done in his life, and how earnestly he desired that all people, even the proud Roman leader Agrippa, were Christians like himself (Acts 26:28-29). Are we thankful for what God has done in our lives? Do we desire to see that same working in other people’s lives? Paul was also a man of prayer. This verse is just one of his many prayers for the people of God. As we pray for others, God works in our hearts to help us have the right attitude towards them. Time and time again, I’ve started a prayer angry at someone, and finished it repentant and with a softened heart towards the other person. So, start praying and let the Lord work on your heart. Paul also actively built relationships with the people and churches he cared about. He visited them himself, wrote to them, and encouraged other evangelists to visit the churches. He also helped organise a meal roster for people who needed food. Alright, not precisely a meal roster, but the scriptures record that Paul was one of two disciples entrusted by the Antioch church to carry famine relief to Christians in Jerusalem.

So where does this discussion leave us? This fortnight, may we pray the same prayer Paul prayed for the Thessalonians. May the Lord make us “to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men”.