If one of your closest friends was killed unjustly would you give up your time to mourn in order to meet the needs of others?
I know this sounds kind of extreme, but as I read through Matthew I was challenged by the example of Christ:
"When Jesus got the news, he slipped away by boat to an out-of-the-way place by himself. But unsuccessfully—someone saw him and the word got around. Soon a lot of people from the nearby villages walked around the lake to where he was.When he saw them coming, he was overcome with pity and healed their sick." Matthew 14:13-14 (The Message)
Upon being told about the brutal death of John the baptist Christ sought retreat, but he never lost sight of His purpose.
How many of us, as leaders, miss this principle? Whether it's a bad day, an argument with a loved one, built up anger, a death in the family, etc. The initial response for most individuals is to retreat and unplug from everything. We want to totally disconnect and just have time to mourn, reflect, or calm down. In moments like these the last thing we want to do is deal with the needs of other people.
We need to look at the example Christ gave. This one passage of scripture should challenge every leader who believes they are called to a purpose. Even in one of the most emotional times of Christ life, when all He wanted to do was get away, he took the time to live out His purpose. He never lost sight of His vision and took the time to show compassion.
What if we lived our lives like this? Christ never missed an opportunity. His priority was always others first. Even in a time of mourning, he was "interrupted", and still had pity on the broken.
The next time you let your bad day affect the way you do ministry, focus on the example of Christ. Their are times to deal with the tough occasions of life, but in those times we must never lose sight of our calling. We have to constantly be aware of the needs of others and meet those needs at all times.
My prayer is to continuously be "overcome with pity" for the brokenhearted of this world.
-Shane
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