Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
About K.P. Yohannan Metropolitan
Publications
Links
Social Media
- Facebook
- Instagram
- Twitter
- Pinterest
Archives
FREE NEWSLETTER

Home
Evangelical - Sponsored
Everything Changes When You Fall in Love

Everything Changes When You Fall in Love

Last updated on: March 27, 2018 at 1:55 am by KP Yohannan

Everything Changes When You Fall in Love 2018-03-27T01:55:17+00:00 KP Yohannan

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

When Jesus walked on this earth, He was deeply moved by the lostness and suffering of humanity. His heart ached over the harvest fields that were about to perish. He wept over Jerusalem and a nation that had rejected their Messiah. He knew what was waiting for them, and it broke His heart.

We cannot be disciples of Christ and live like Jesus lived unless we too have a broken heart and tears to weep over those who are perishing without Him and God’s love.

I remember well, how often I stood on the streets of northern India looking at the multitudes, unable to control my tears as I shared with people about Jesus and His sacrifice for humanity.

That was before I came to the United States—and before I wanted to become like everyone else.

I was studying in seminary, pastoring a church and doing well. Two or three years went by, and I found I couldn’t cry anymore. No, I didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, I was busy preaching and teaching, and people thought I was spiritual.

However, without my being aware of it, the affections of my heart had shifted from being consumed with reaching dying souls to desiring material things. I found myself buying expensive clothing, books for my growing library, watches, a stereo system and other things to feed my new appetite. At the same time, I was committed to conservative faith, and I memorized wonderful prayers by Peter Marshall and others to include with my preaching, and people liked it. But on the inside I was dying. Even the Bible had become just a tool for me to prepare my sermons.

There I was, asking myself, “How can something like this happen to someone like me?”

I had known God so intimately, He had talked to me and I heard Him, but now I could not find Him.

It was time for me to make a decision about what to do with my life. I didn’t see any sense to continue in ministry because my heart was dead. As a last attempt, I said to myself, “I will talk to the Lord and see if He will talk back to me.”

I went into my study, sat on the floor and simply prayed: “Jesus, I don’t know what to do. I know so much and everybody thinks I am a spiritual person, but I am so lost. I don’t know where You are, and I can’t find You. Please talk to me.” And He did. At the end of seeking Him for two weeks, the Lord showed up. I can’t explain how, but within a few seconds, millions of pictures began to flash before my eyes: faces, images and places I had been to on the mission field. And then He said, “I have been waiting for this day when you would come to the end of yourself. I have called you. I know you.”

I expected the Lord to say, “You messed up. Sell everything, go back to India and wear rags.” But He didn’t.

Instead, I was so overcome with the awareness that He loves me, He understands me and He wants me. I wasn’t able to stop crying. For weeks I couldn’t think of anything else than just being His. I was so overwhelmed by His love that He could have asked me anything outrageous, and I would have done it.

I believe God, in His mercy, allowed me to take this journey so the ministry He wanted me to do was born out of love for Him.

Dr. KP Yohannan Metropolitan is praying after he shared powerful and challenging message with the GFW World staff during a staff meeting in the Chapel in Wills Point, TX on September 27, 2017.

One outcome of this encounter with the Lord was that I looked at the possessions I had accumulated for myself, and I started giving them away. They had lost their pull on my heart.

Another was that my heart was once again aching for the world that did not know Jesus, and I could pray and weep for the multitudes who were dying without knowing His love.

My dear friend, you may feel spiritual in a crowd on Sunday morning, but following the Lord is intensely personal. You cannot borrow this life from someone else, nor can you get it by imitating the actions of others. You see, my giving away material things and praying with tears for those living without the truth of Christ had nothing to do with attempting to act like Jesus. It was the result of being overcome by His love for me and falling in love with Him.

The apostle John wrote, “We love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19 nasb).

I don’t know where you are in following the Lord, but if your heart is unmoved by the things that break Jesus’ heart and your eyes are dry, then I urge you to seek Him and wait in His presence until you are overcome by His love and you love Him back.

Everything about following the Lord will change when you fall in love with Jesus.

=====
Click here, to read more articles on Patheos by Dr. KP Yohannan Metropolitan.

Go here to know ore about Dr. KP Yohannan: SourceWatch | Wiki | Flickr

Previous Post

June 22, 2025

Father's Day Without My Father

Next Post

September 20, 2017 Dreamers Always Think: Is This Silly Idea Really From God?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Current Events Devotionals Field Stories From My Books Guest Writer Inspirational Personal Life Spiritual Growth Uncategorized

Select a Month June 2025 June 2024 May 2024 December 2023 October 2023 May 2023 April 2023 December 2022 August 2022 July 2022 May 2022 April 2022 November 2021 September 2021 August 2021 May 2021 March 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz