What’s Tugging You?

Have you ever heard of the expression, “It feels like my heart is being tugged?” The image that comes to my mind is a picture of a heart with a rope tied securely around it, and some outside giving a good yank. As the imagery implies, this isn’t something you’d want to wake up to every morning, but God uses it to call us into action.

Since becoming increasingly numb spiritually over the past few weeks, my heart is the indicator that God still has work to do in me. Twice I felt my heart tugged this weekend, so I can not help but share something that God considers a moral outrage.

Not too long ago, a group of students from my university attended an end-of-the-year conference, and saw the movie Invisible Children. Invisible Children is now a documentary and organization that is trying to put an end to child solders that are being kidnapped in the African country of Uganda. Maybe not in exact words, but the students who viewed the movie were challenged with the question. “What’s tugging you?” Our campus became one of many that rallied students for support of the organization, which, to this day, continues providing care and education for the children of the war-torn country. And if you want to learning more, check out this website, or talk to me (or leave a comment) and I’ll be glad to tell you more.

So, “What’s tugging you?” What tugged my heart this weekend, is another world issue that needs recognition as well. Love146 is an organization that deals with the abolition of the child sex-trafficking within this country (yes, it happens in America), and the world. After watching this video on Friday night, I feel all the more compelled to adopt children like these or from Uganda, so they can live a better life and have dreams and cast great aspirations to end monstrosities like these.

But my question for you is… “What’s Tugging You?” In Matthew 14:14, “And when [Jesus] went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and he healed their sick.” Although the verse may be small, three things happened here. (1) Jesus saw a need. Perhaps in this case it wasn’t a human rights crisis, but a human rights crisis is still a need. (2) Jesus had compassion. God’s Kingdom that is to come is one that is characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. Naturally, He wanted to help them in any way he could. (3) Jesus healed the sick. Unlike most, He observed a need, and acted on it.

“What’s tugging you?” God puts compassion in our hearts because God wants a better world for His children (all people). So often we pray and pray and pray to be a part of something that makes a difference. Child solders and child prostitution isn’t going to end in a day, and if your heart aches for these causes, don’t just pray, but give some of your money, effort and time. Is there something else tugging your heart? There are certainly more issues locally, nationally and abroad that need to come to an end. Regardless of where it may be, God has created each of us prepared to do good service. So don’t wait for someone, when you can be the answer to your own prayer.

Is there something tugging at your heart? Great!

Perhaps more important though, “What are you going to do about it?”