A man was driving the scenic route around a lake. As he came around a curve and started to cross a bridge, he saw a woman on the wrong side of the railing. This woman was considering taking her life. The man pulled over and ran to the woman threatening to jump. He told her that if she jumped, he'd have to jump in after her to try to save her. He knew the water was cold, and he might not survive the jump, but he decided that this woman he had never met was worth the risk. Thankfully, as they talked, the woman chose to live.
Our natural tendency is to be concerned about our condition and comfort. However, as redeemed people, God is changing us from self-centered to others-centered. We should be concerned with ourselves, but God's work in us shouldn't be just about us.
The Apostle Paul writes something that might startle us at first glance:
I am a follower of Christ, and the Holy Spirit is a witness to my conscience. So I tell the truth and I am not lying when I say 2 my heart is broken and I am in great sorrow. 3 I would gladly be placed under God's curse and be separated from Christ for the good of my own people. Roman 9:1–3 (CEV) He was so profoundly moved for other people that he was willing to do whatever he could for them to know the Lord. Paul was deeply concerned about the spiritual state of the Jewish people. The Messiah had come, but they refused to believe in Him. They didn't understand that the promise of every prophecy had been fulfilled. Paul was so grieved by their rejection of salvation that he wrote that he was willing to be cursed for their sake! Do we have this burden for those who have rejected or don't know about our Savior? God is transforming us for His purposes. We should not only be inward-focused on our spiritual journey. We should be motivated by God's grace to share the gospel with everyone. As we are changed into His likeness, we should be caught up in caring for the lost more and more. The truth is that He shapes and molds us to be His hands and feet on this earth. Our purpose is to reach the lost with the love we have found in Him. The people we meet and the situations we encounter should be considered opportunities to share Christ. Not because it's His command but because our heart is burdened for them to know the truth and be set free from the bondage of sin and death. God is faithful to reach people through us; we should not count ourselves out in work He is doing in the hearts of people.