John 11:33, 35 (NASB) When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled...Jesus wept.
God empathizes and has compassion. It is not a detached show of emotion that Jesus has here. He is not acting. He genuinely hurts for Martha and Mary over their grief concerning the death of Lazarus. Jesus knows the rest of the story. He is going to raise Lazarus from the dead. But this knowledge did not prevent Him from identifying with Mary and Martha and mourning with them as they mourned.God wants us to be able to mourn when others mourn and rejoice when others rejoice. This ability to empathize with others is a product of love. It has been planted by God within us. It is in our DNA. To be made in the image of God means we have the ability to feel what others feel. He definitely understands you and has created you with the ability to understand others. To remain neutral and unaffected by the people around you is to deny, reject, and resist the very heart of God within you.
Relationships involve and require emotion. Your lack of emotion may be due to past hurts and the defense and protective mechanisms you have put in place to help you cope. It may also be the result of a self-centered disposition. In either case, something must change. Your ability to feel, and to feel with others, is a gift from God. You miss out on so much in life when you reject His gift. It will require becoming vulnerable. It will be risky. But it's worth it.
Don't allow relational numbness to become your acceptable norm for life.
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