Break My Heart for What Breaks Yours!

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove form you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." Ezekiel 36:26-27

The last couple weeks my heart has been pretty raw as I learn more about the culture that I live in. There are lots of things that break my heart because they break the heart of God. I want to be moldable and teachable. I don't want to be callus to the world around me.

On Monday I was talking to my tennis partner and I casually asked how is wife was. He replied, "She isn't good. We are separated." I asked, "Why? How come? Problems with faithfulness?" He told me, "She was trying to poison me. She also has many lovers." Then I asked him, "How many wives have you had?" He looked at me like I had just asked a very complicated question. Then he began to explain, "I am not really sure. I guess I count 2 of them as wives. But I have had a lot of 'friends'. We live together until it doesn't work out then we go our separate ways. I prefer it that way."

My heart hurt! I know this is a common way of life here, but that doesn't make it easier for me to understand or comprehend. Most people don't get legally married. They may be married through traditional practices or they may just live together. My heart hurt even more because I know this man is an active member of the Methodist church and sings in their choir. So it was hard to hear this from a fellow brother in Christ. The fact that he didn't think that there was anything wrong with his behavior.

I know that I have all kinds of imperfections... no where near perfect. So this is not me casting stones or trying to get sawdust out of someone's eye. This is my heart being broken both for my sin and the sin I see around me.

When was the last time your heart broke for the world around you?