Daily Power #59

Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. (Matt. 20:34)

I’m terribly sad to confess this, but I’m not always as sensitive to the suffering of others as I used to be. Years ago, if I was channel-surfing and came across a commercial or program showing some sweet, malnourished child with flies buzzing around her face, my heart stopped. I would feel so guilty sitting in my comfortable home, watching on a big, color flat-screen TV, that I often had to change the channel.

But after a while, I had seen so many of these images that they simply didn’t bother me like they once did. I became immune to them. They were invisible, just more background noise. You see, repeating a stimulus causes it to register less and less each time you’re exposed to it. That poor hungry child doesn’t burden me now as much as before because I’ve become desensitized to such a sight. It’s familiar and not nearly as disturbing unless I intentionally pause and remember this is a human being—a real flesh-and-blood child suffering needlessly.

Why is this such a problem? Because the more indifferent we become to the suffering of others, the more we become unwilling to love them, help them, serve them. Because if we have chosen to follow Christ, then we need to understand that God has called us to so much more than changing the channel or closing the pop-up window.

Compassion counts.

He calls us to serve.

He calls us to love.

Power Lift

Lord, prevent me from becoming desensitized so that I may have eyes to see and a tender heart to feel the suffering of others.