Richard Ray: Focus on compassion, and miracles will follow

I have noticed a rise in Christians desiring to witness signs from God. They are looking everywhere for these signs, whether in worship services, during their prayer time or as they look to the sky.

Richard RaySome pastors look for signs to let them know when to stay at a church or when to move on to the next church. Some believe any opportunity is a sign, while others like to pick and choose their opportunities, thus creating their own signs.

Should we even be looking for signs from God? Jesus said: “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it” (Mark 8:12).

We have become a society of Christians who need some type of sign to confirm God’s direction in our lives. When we pray for someone to be healed, is it necessary to see the healing to believe? Proof, it seems, is what we are looking for.

Since the time of Jesus, people wanted proof before they would believe. When Jesus healed the blind man at Bethsaida, Scripture says, “Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village” (Mark 8:23). Jesus led this man away from those who would witness the miracle. Why? Because the people were not concerned about the blind man but wanted to witness a miracle.

Remember when Jesus fed the 4,000? Those people were not looking for a miracle. They were not even thinking about food. They just wanted to be close to Jesus. It was only through compassion that Jesus performed a miracle to supply their need by providing more than enough food to eat.

Miracles are all about compassion. Jesus said, “I have compassion for these people” (Mark 8:2). That is where we miss the mark. We are looking for miracles for proof and confirmation of the choices we make or the directions we travel, when we should be about serving our Lord and sharing his word with compassion. If we have compassion for God’s people, Jesus is set free to perform his miracles.

As a Christian, you do not need a miracle to know where or when to serve the Lord. What you need is compassion for those who need the Lord. Compassion will guide you to where God needs you. When we as a church and as pastors show compassion to others, then our path will be sure and our choices will be confirmed—not by a miracle but by the assurance of our faith.

I encourage you to serve the Lord with compassion, and then the miracles will follow. But they just may not be visible to you, and that is OK.

Until next time, remember the Lord has called you to serve, but he has not called you to serve alone. Visit our website, www.bivocational.com, for more information on how the Bivocational/Small Church Association can minister to and serve you.

Richard Ray is executive director of the Bivocational/Small Church Association and director of missions for the Tri-Rivers Baptist Area. You can reach him at [email protected].