The world is filled with dreamers; people who think they know the best way that everything should be done. Like that old commercial from Ford Motor Company, they always, “have a better idea.” Unlike Ford, however, these people never get anything done. They have great ideas about many things, but they aren’t doers. They are dreamers and wanna-be’s that never stepped out in life and took the risk to put feet to their great ideas. They have never experienced greatness happening to them or through them.
I like the quote of one of our Presidents, Theodore Roosevelt:
“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly…”
It is great to dream. But dreams alone do not make things happen.
Jesus was not just a dreamer…..He was a Doer. He lived by character, purpose, and principle, not religious feelings or mere compassion.
Let’s see how our Hero, the Son of God, functioned in ministry.
MAT 9:34-36 But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons”. Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus WENT. He was a man of action, heading out into service. He knew Who He was and He knew His mission. He came to save sinners, destroy the works of the devil, establish a better covenant, and redeem for the Father men and women from every tribe and nation. Faith always acts based on “knowing” not “feeling”. Jesus focused on what He was “going to do” not what He was “going through.”
Jesus SAW, verse 36. Jesus went first, out of purpose and principle, and then He saw. Some people never see the opportunities in life because they never GO. They have no mission in life and so they never see the potential of how God could bless them and bless others through them. Jesus Christ had a mission statement. He declared:
“The Sprit of The Lord is upon me, because He anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of The Lord.” – Luke 4:18-19
Jesus was concerned about others. He saw people and their real needs when others did not. The reason? He was about doing His mission. People miss opportunities because they are not looking for them. They have no vision for what God wants to do in their life, so they want nothing, and expect nothing. If God were to bring about a divinely ordained potential miracle, they do not recognize it and pass on by. Jesus wants to use us now by the power of His Holy Spirit to continue to do His mission.
Jesus FELT COMPASSION, verse 36. The last thing Jesus did is the first thing we seem to look for. The “feeling” of compassion. Jesus did not feel the compassion until He WENT and SAW. If we GO, then we will be in the place He wants us to be. It is then we will have eyes to SEE, and then we will FEEL the compassion that can produce results.
There are many in our Rio Grande Valley that need Jesus Christ. Men, women, teenagers need the grace and mercy of God. Families need to be healed and restored. Our local governments need the influence of godly Christians. Let us not spend out our lives waiting for some super-spiritual feeling while lives are perishing. Jesus alone can save the Rio Grande Valley, but Jesus cannot save the Rio Grande Valley alone. He has called us to work in this harvest field for His Name sake.
Father, help us to be purpose-motivated instead of feeling-motivated. Teach us, Lord, to be moved by what you have said and not only what we feel.