I have prayed a lot for compassion in the last year. I work in college student ministry. I’m pouring out from my life into the lives of students all the time, but it was burdensome. I realized that my heart didn’t break for these students.
DeEdra BranchI was not praying for them or expecting God to come through in their lives. So, naturally, that made it really easy to judge and to see this “ministry thing” as just an obligation and not as a joy and privilege.
God came through for me in a major way, despite my pride and stubbornness. His command to love came alive for me when I met a student who passionately loves the Lord but is seriously struggling with homosexuality. What was intended to be a meeting over lunch to talk about ministry ended up as a mind-blowing opportunity to love on one of God’s sons.
It’s really easy for us to give advice about a situation we know nothing about. Ironic, right? We offer generalities and say what we would do or say in certain situations—never truly putting ourselves in the shoes of those in front of us. I’ve talked about homosexuality before with both my Christian and non-Christian friends, and we have exchanged opinions and perspectives about where we all stand. But in reality, I often have been terrified of those conversations. It’s not because I wasn’t sure what I believed, but I was scared I couldn’t properly and lovingly voice those beliefs.
I saw Jesus
Looking into the eyes of this student, I saw Jesus. I saw a person created in the image of God and who God loves passionately. I saw the result of sin in the world and how it has manifested for this specific individual. I saw the pain on his face and heard the fear in his voice as he completely poured out his heart. I saw his longing for acceptance and a desire to understand more of God and more of himself. And I couldn’t judge him because I saw myself.
In that moment, I realized the truth of being in a broken and fallen world. I realized we all have serious sin in our lives simply manifested in different ways. And although I have never struggled with same-sex attractions, I have struggled with other temptations—habitual lying, sexual purity, judgmental thoughts and the list can go on.
This kid already has felt the shame and guilt of this sin. He already felt outcast by his family. He already lied over and over about his struggle to prevent further bullying. He already has been told all the cliché Christian remedies for how to get rid of these feelings. In that moment, what he needed that he hadn’t gotten was love.
The gospel came to life
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God used me to pour out his love. It was warm, uncompromising and full of truth. I didn’t have to focus on his sin. I just focused on Jesus. I didn’t have to have all the answers or give my opinion, I just told him what Jesus says about him. I saw the gospel come to life. This is why Jesus came, isn’t it? This is why he lived, died and rose again.
Redemption is real, and love is available, and the gospel is the only thing that can transform our lives into the wholeness God designed. Thank you God for grace, and thank you for your truth.
DeEdra Branch is serving with Go Now Missions as a campus missionary intern at the University of Houston.
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