Enlarge my heart

God has been challenging me for a while now to enlarge my heart.

I am an introvert and by nature, am quite solitary and inward-looking. I prize my space and time alone. I need time apart from others, with God, in order to be refreshed and to be able to cope with the rest of what goes on in my life.

God has been calling me to make more room for others. He has been calling me to make more room for those in my community who don't know him; to make room for those I don't know but who need someone to fight for them, to speak for them, to love them.

Prov 31.8-9 says “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.”

James 2.14-17 “...faith without deeds is dead...”

Prov 31.20 “She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy.”

Who are those in my life or who have been brought to my attention that need me to speak up for them, to ensure they get justice? Maybe they are those being oppressed and exploited in my city or in far-off lands.

Who are the poor and needy that I can extend a helping hand to? Maybe they’re those in my church, my workplace, my community.

I cannot say “it’s not my problem”. If God has opened my eyes to a need, perhaps he wants to meet it through me.

You may wonder what one person can do but we can listen to God. We can speak, act, live in obedience. God will move and hearts and lives will be transformed.

My prayer: Keep opening my eyes, Lord. Enlarge the territory of my heart. Bring freedom...

[Through organisations like Watoto and The A21 Campaign, God has opened my eyes and many others' to those who need our help and ways to help them. If you hear God calling you to enlarge your heart but don't know where to start, look at the needs around you in your local community, gather others together and see how you might be able to meet them. You could also check out the above websites and see what God is doing and how you might be able to get involved.]