Nobody wants a broken heart. It hurts. It takes us to a level of emotion where we experience tears, anguish, and grief. It puts us in a place where we want only one thing—peace and restoration. Compassion is a motivator, but I believe the greatest ministry is done through heartbreak. It happens when our heart breaks over what we see, hear, and touch—and we begin to cry, not just tears, but cry out prayers to God, asking Him to intervene, to restore and to allow us to be a part of His restoration process.
Author and pastor, Rick McKinley, says that when he planted a church in Portland, his heart was for this new body of believers to be church—not just do church. He had training after training on how to do missions and ministry, but still people weren’t getting on board. He finally decided that it wasn’t that they didn’t know how to do ministry, it was that they didn’t care. Their hearts didn’t break for their community—local or global. That’s when they decided to come together once a week and just pray for God to break their hearts. Weeks passed, then it began to happen... as hearts broke, ministry started.
What would break your heart? When is the last time you broke down in tears over some one or some people who are struggling, downhearted, abused, hungry, or without a savior? Maybe it’s time to get out into our community—local and global—and see, hear, and touch what’s going on. Maybe it’s time to get on our knees and pray that we could experience raw heartbreak.
“As He approached and saw the city, He wept over it, saying, ‘If you knew this day what would bring peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes’” (Luke 19:41).
Written by Meghan Hancock
