Seeing People the Way Jesus Does
Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” Acts 3:4 NRSV
Series: Witness
Devotional: 3 of 4
We become like the people we spend our lives with. Because we know this to be true, as followers of Jesus, called to be His witnesses to a lost and dying world, we intentionally prioritize time alone with Him - both quality and quantity. In the quiet place, intimacy with Him begins to grow.
Additionally, a witness is someone who is in the process of being formed more and more into the image of Christ. Someone who has entered into a lifelong apprenticeship with the Lord. Someone who, due to their close proximity with Him, is daily taking on the character of their Master.
Scripture is full of examples of what it looks like to display Christ's character while sharing the Good News of the Gospel. Here is one example from the Book of Acts, where we see Christ's character displayed in the lives of His disciples, Peter and John.
In Acts chapter 3, we read about how Peter and John are on their way to the temple for prayer. As they went along, a man who had been crippled from birth sat at the entrance to the temple gate, begging from those who might pass by. Moved by compassion and empathy for the man's physical and spiritual needs, Peter "looked intently at him, as did John, and said, ‘Look at us.’ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, ‘I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.’ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong." (See Acts 3:4-7 NRSV)
In much the same way, as witnesses who have been with Jesus, our hearts are to be stirred by compassion and empathy so that we might "look intently" upon the needs of the people we pass by as we go about our daily lives. Seeing people through the same lens that Jesus does should, move us to respond with kindness to the needs of others.
In the case of Peter and the lame man at the temple gate, God miraculously healed the man's physical needs through the power of the Holy Spirit, leading him to praise and glorify the name of Jesus.
Today, consider the lives of those you pass by regularly as you go about your day. Are you moving through your day at a slow enough pace to look intently upon the condition of their hearts? Do you see them with the compassion and empathy that Christ sees them? And when given the opportunity, how might you respond with kindness to their physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual needs?
OnThe3rdDay Devotionals
Devotionals that illustrate Biblical principles in a simple and short format that can be applied to your everyday life.
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