If Caring Was Enough

December 3, 2015

by: Ciara Leilani

Caring is symbolic of having a heart condition known as compassion. A heart of compassion exposes your most inner vulnerabilities to the vile and inhumane personalities of this world. There is such a thing called grace, to cover such a heart. The world would like for you to think, having a heart that cares is actually a human defect, but God uses such a heart to return souls back into his kingdom. Compassion is the main emotion Jesus operated through when completing his assignment here on earth. He had a heart full of compassion for you. He cared about what would happen to every human being if he did not do what was needed. He also knew caring was not enough, which required him to act in order to fulfill the mandate on his life.

If caring was all that was needed, every human being alive would be saved. But it’s not. If caring was all that was needed to heal the woes of this world, we’d have a perfect atmosphere without pain, suffering, malice, shame or hatred. As we know it, caring is just not enough. Action is required by my fellow-man to fulfill what God purposed mankind to do.

Caring seems to be a basic human need, wouldn’t you agree? After all, when you’ve had enough don’t you come to some internal agreement then say, “I don’t care anymore.” Or when someone breaks the innocence within your heart have you ever thought, “you don’t even care, do you?” We all have asked ourselves this question without possibly using these exact words, “what’s in it for me?” What would happen if we would pose that question to Jesus instead of ourselves? I bet he’d respond with something like, everything. See, the stake of a person’s eternity rests on every individuals shoulders. That responsibility does not rest solely on the southern Baptist preacher or the upstate New York evangelist. It is a common responsibility that Jesus placed upon every individual’s shoulders as he ascended to heaven. Not caring enough about the next person’s eternity is the same as saying “what’s in it for me” while considering whether or not to get involved.

The bible is a practical guide to any matter you or I will ever encounter. I suspect many do not believe the words written in black and white because there haven’t been enough examples of God’s word being true. After all, where are all of the miracles, signs and wonders that are mentioned? Where are the prophets declaring the way to salvation in modern America? The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not dead nor is lying dormant in some cave purchased by an ancient Jew. It is alive and well, prepared to be activated within the soul of every believer, should they choose to allow God to use them. In all that was written in the Word of God I often ask myself “what was not written?” It’s in this deep wonder, that I open myself to the possibility of allowing the supernatural to work within and through me as I consider God to be true to His word.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.” John 14:12

How can God lie? He can’t, so the proper question to ask is why aren’t those who believe in Him doing the same works he did and greater? It’s simple, caring is just not enough. People do not get into heaven because someone cared about their wellbeing. People do not receive deliverance from demonic oppression because someone wished them well. Your local community will not heal itself because a few concerned citizens marched to capitol hill with placards and a bullhorn. No, people receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior because action was more evident than a few proper words spoken. People receive deliverance from demonic oppression because they’ve surrendered to Jesus and another person cared enough to command that impure spirit out of them. Action that lasts requires that you care, but it also requires initiative that is detached from selfish motives. Action means nothing without caring conversely, caring means nothing without action.

Right now, someone around you needs the response of you caring about more than just yourself. If tomorrow happened to never come, what response would you have for today? Caring about the wellbeing of others is not enough anymore. It never was. Caring can be likened to a distant emotion that shows nothing without interaction. You can do more with what you have inside of you, versus the bank account that is often used as an excuse. Give God the opportunity to activate and use what He placed inside of your spirit long before you were conceived. He makes no mistakes in the gifts he plants within us. They simply cannot be activated until we are mature enough to utilize them. It requires the willingness to act on behalf of another to see the super of God being added to your natural. He doesn’t want your leftovers, only your best attributes and efforts. What’s stopping you from doing more right where you are? Whatever it is, I guarantee God already knows and has a response.

I once read that God’s eyes searched all over the earth in hopes he’d find one soul that would cry out to him to not destroy the people who were disobeying him willfully. Ezekiel 22:30 mentions God’s heart of compassion for a people who would do more than care.

“I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one.” Ezekiel 22:30

Sadly, he found no one at that time who would simply stand in the gap of another so that his wrath would not come upon the people he most desperately wanted to spare. People blame God for everything without considering his holiness and sovereignty. He does not commingle or compete with sin. He gave us a remedy for that, his name is Jesus. Standing in the gap for another does not require much. It simply requires more than caring. It requires occasional fasting, constant prayer and sincere conversations with God. That’s it. You put yourself in the gap of the person that is unwilling or unable to stand before a holy God to request for mercy or grace.

If caring was enough, we would live in a world where the Gospel of Jesus Christ wouldn’t be needed or the confession of a sinner to meet grace. Caring means nothing without the pure love of the One who gave it all for the one, which is you. Consider the possibility that you can do more right where you are, for the sake of your own neighbors within the privacy of your prayer closet. God can do more with your sincere prayer than a multitude of well intended but insincere actions.

If caring was enough…we wouldn’t be here.

— Ciara Leilani

http://www.ciaraleilani.com