A Heart Like Jesus: I Have One

Yesterday (4.19.2024), as I was doing Bible study in Acts chapter 7, I came upon the story of when Stephen, one of the seven Deacons who was appointed by the Apostles, was killed (Acts 7:57-60). He was stoned to death because he was full of the Holy Spirit and went around preaching and teaching about Jesus and performing miracles among the people.  

As they stoned Stephen, he prayed to Jesus and asked Him to receive his spirit because he knew that he was about to die. And as Stephen was dying, he cried out with a loud voice unto the Lord and said, "Lord do not hold this sin against them" (Acts 7:60 NIV). As soon as Stephen said that, he died. 

What immediately stood out to me as I read that passage was that Stephen had a heart just like Jesus. He had compassion for his enemies to the extent that he did not want God to punish them for what they had done to him. 

Surely, we all know that when Jesus was crucified, and as He was dying on the cross, right before He died, He prayed for those that persecuted Him and crucified Him, and He said to God, HIs father, "Forgive them Lord for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).

That not only showed the condition of Jesus' heart (it was pure/not contaminated), but it was also a remarkable display of love, compassion, and forgiveness, and Stephen displayed the same while he was dying/before he died.

Stephen, a follower of Christ Jesus... A believer... A Christian (which means - little Christ) modeled Jesus, as we (Christians, disciples of Jesus) are supposed to do. We are to have a heart like Jesus.

I was so moved when I read that as Stephen was dying, he thought about those who were killing him (his enemies), and prayed and asked God not to hold their sins against them. Out of all of the things that Stephen could have thought about as he was dying, he thought about his enemies. I pondered on that for a little while.

The next thing I did was pray. I prayed and asked God not to hold it against all of those (my enemies) who have tried to kill me, caused me serious harm, altered my life, and more. I prayed that prayer from deep within my heart.

Now I have prayed for my enemies many times before. All of them. But what made this prayer very different is because all of the other times, God instructed me to pray for them, but this time, I prayed for my enemies without being prompted by God/the Holy Spirit to do so. 

I even woke up this morning and prayed the same prayer. I said, "Lord, please do not punish my enemies for what they have done to me." And it is so crazy because I know that I have grown tremendously in the Spirit and that I have a heart like Jesus, because not too long ago, I wanted them all to suffer. I am being 100% honest. I wanted all of my enemies to suffer, and I wanted to know about it.

Now do not get me wrong, I want justice. I definitely want justice for all that I have endured and for all of the injustices that I suffered. However, to want justice and to want someone to suffer is two entirely different things, so let's be clear about that. But as I told God today, and I have told Him this before: I put it all in His hands. Then God reminded me in that moment (as He has before) that vengeance is His. I know for certain that this is true. 

What I also know for certain is that God cares about the condition of our hearts, and He does not want it filled with bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness, hate, anger, jealousy, wickedness... Nor does God want us to be malicious and vengeful, even if it is just in our thoughts, because all of that will interfere with how we serve others and how we receive from the Holy Spirit, in which, we will not be able to. 

Proverbs 4:23 reads:

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

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It is also important for you to know that God will not use you if you have a corrupt heart. So please guard your heart and ask God daily, or as often as you need to, to search your heart... to examine it and remove everything out it that is not of Him, and He will do it. I pray this prayer very often.

Psalms 139:23-24 reads:

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out [and remove] anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

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Be encouraged. God loves you.

Love and peace,

Yolanda Billingslea (Ms. B)

FYI: My Facebook Page name is Yolanda Billingslea (my profile picture has "Unbreakable" across it). Be inspired and encouraged by my daily posts.