Crying Out

Thoughts for Church Leadership

“The man who cannot weep cannot preach.” - Charles Haddon Spurgeon

A lot of people like to have discussions about the qualifications of Elders, Deacons, and Pastors (1st Timothy 3:8-13, Titus 1:5-9, and 1st Peter 5:1-5) which I think is good and important in the church.

Here is something to consider from the famous preacher known as The Prince of Preachers; Charles Haddon Spurgeon stated in one of his sermons:

“Tears do not lie quite so fleet with most of us; but the man who cannot weep cannot preach, at least, if he never feels tears within, even if they do not show themselves without, he can scarcely be the man to handle such themes as those which God has committed to his people’s charge. If you would be useful, dear brothers and sisters, you must cultivate the sacred passions; you must think much upon the divine realities, until they move and stir your souls; that men are dying and perishing, that hell is filling, that Christ is dishonored, that souls are not converted to Christ, that the Holy Ghost is grieved, that the kingdom does not come to God, but that Satan rales and reigns, all this ought to be well considered by us, and our heart ought to be stirred until like the prophet we say, “O that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears (Jeremiah 9:1).” The useful worker for Christ is a man of tenderness, not a Stoic; not one who does not care whether souls are saved or not.[i]”

Portrait of Spurgeon by Alexander Melville (1885):

“The useful worker for Christ is a man of tenderness, not a Stoic; not one who does not care whether souls are saved or not.” - Charles H. Spurgeon

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There is a tenderness about Jesus that moves the spirit from within. The scriptures inform us that children were naturally drawn to Jesus.

^“People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” – Luke 18:15-17 (NIV)

Children have a natural sensitive disposition. Something as adults especially as men, we lack the tenderness of a child, sometimes my heart grows cold over time.

Photo by Vitolda Klein on Unsplash

Children learn at a young age that when they cry it gets their parents attention. Parents learn over time to distinguish the types of cries of a child. There are also benefits of calling out to God for help:

‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ - Jeremiah 33:3

The God who created us knows our thoughts and can distinguish the cry of our hearts. It does not matter the age or the circumstance, our Heavenly Father wants to know the condition of our hearts, his eyes are searching for the earth at all times, the Psalmist David stated:

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

-Psalm 34:18

Ask God to break us for the things that break him. Your thoughts?

Endnotes:

[i] Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892), Sermon “Tearful Sowing and Joyful Reaping”, April 25, 1869, The Metropolitan Tabernacle.

https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/tearful-sowing-and-joyful-reaping/#flipbook/