Sometimes no matter how hard you look, you still can't see the sadness in a person's eyes. You talk to them every day, learn about their hopes and dreams for the future. You know someone's favorite color, their favorite food, their birthday, and you think you know everything about them.You might even call them your best friend. But what can you really say about them? I was reminded of this last night when I was lying in bed and looking at Facebook. As I was catching up on all the latest news in social media world, I came upon a picture of a girl holding her Sweet 16 cake. She was smiling, and if I knew her I'm sure we would probably be good friends. But right as I was about to scroll down, I accidentally clicked on the tab that says "Continue Reading." And that's exactly what I did. As it turns out, this girl is currently missing from home. She has been struggling with both physical illness and depression, and she ran away to cope with her feelings. While I'm not going to share her name for privacy reasons, I will say that she is very missed by the people who love her. As I looked at her picture again, I saw something I didn't see before. I saw anguish, desperation, disappointment. I saw a young girl trying to keep it all together when everything in her wanted to fall apart. My first thought was to pray for her, but as I did I felt a sense of conviction. Without the context clues, I would have had no idea what the picture represented. I wouldn't have seen the sadness in her eyes, or felt the urgency of her loved ones to bring her home. I would have just ignored her and moved on about my business, mindlessly looking at things that would take away all my attention. All too often I do this in the real world. I only glance at people like I'm looking at pictures, and when I see a happy face I go off on my merry way, rarely stopping to wonder what's on the inside. Because of this, I miss out on God-given opportunities to impact the lives of others. I am fully capable of using the joy that God has placed in my heart to lift up someone who's feeling low. He has given me eyes to see others' needs and an ability to carry out their solutions. But instead of using my discernment to probe the full situation, I'm just barely scratching the surface.
1 John 3:17 says, "But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?" This verse is talking about needs in a physical sense, such as food, shelter, and clothing. But the same is true when talking about spiritual needs. How are we to prove to a world of unbelievers that God's love abides in us when we don't seem to have the time to even ask them about their day? How can we expect them to want a personal relationship with Jesus when they think we don't want a personal relationship with them? We as Christians are God's representatives here on Earth. Unbelievers won't talk to a God whom they think doesn't exist, but they will talk to a person who's standing right in front of them. In the way that we talk and the way that we treat others, we are the mirror that reflects the image of Christ. And if they think we don't care about them, then they'll think God doesn't care about them. It's not always easy, but we must try to see the pain of others and to do something about it. We must ask God to show us what He wants us to see in the hearts of those around us. Those moments when we completely empathize with someone else's struggles can be earth-shattering. We feel the weight of their doubts and insecurities on our shoulders, and the aching heart that comes with earnestly praying for another person isn't fun or enjoyable. But it is life-changing in more ways than one. It changes our attitudes toward Christ as we think of the irrepressible agony He felt for us on the cross. It changes our view of ourselves as we put the needs of others at the forefront of our lives. And it changes the lives of others as we give them the saving hope of a future in Heaven. So let us work together to reflect the love and the light of Jesus. Let us show compassion, and friendship, and mercy, even when we don't understand it. Let us be life-changing.
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