How Yawning Can Save Your Life… and The World (Part 3)
by Maxie Kamalski
Our world is broken and falling apart because people are broken and falling apart. A world filled with broken people often feels harsh and graceless, as broken people often are unable to show empathy with people because they are so misunderstood themselves. All of this leads to the deepening of brokenness around us. And we do it so easily. It starts small in our everyday relationships – a harsh word to your spouse, then ignoring the homeless person at the traffic robot, followed by snapping at your work colleague, topped off by yelling at your kids at the dinner table. This cycle feels endless, as our brokenness feeds someone else’s brokenness over and over again, spiraling ever deeper into a feeding frenzy that culminates in needless violence and war.
Brokenness creates more brokenness.
Yet there is something that stops the domino effect of brokenness.
Empathy.
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:15 - 16).
Jesus understands.
He gets it.
He doesn't just theoretically know our brokenness, He knows with understanding. He feels our pain and brokenness and the choices we make out of that place. Jesus can truly empathize because He’s been there. But Christ chose differently – He chose grace.
By choosing grace, He made a way for you to chose differently too. Jesus has placed this built-in gift inside of us, to empathize with one another, and it’s one of the most important things you need each day, as empathy creates space for receiving grace to deepen.
We have a daily to choice to make. A choice to live a different way, the way of Jesus. The way of listening, understanding, empathizing and showing grace.
Choose His way today.