I was born with a tender heart. Contrary to this fact, many people in my life consider me prickly or overly intense at times, which is true in some ways. However, I’ll submit that such an outer shell is a protective covering, like a callous built up over years of absorbing the sorrows of others (not that they ever even asked or were aware of this).

I don’t have massive sorrow in my own life, fortunately; however, I often feel the sorrow in this world as if it were my own. People are in a perpetual state of pain and suffering, most often because of their own poor decision-making. Even so, I’ve learned that the source of pain doesn’t matter as much as that it is real, it exists and has the power to put others in deep states of depression and despair.

I know this type of “adopted” sorrow is Christ-like, so I’m not praying that it be removed from me – I consider it a privilege to experience (my prayer is simply not to become overwhelmed by it). Christ wept for those in sin-caused sorrow, even when they didn’t fully understand their own plight.

Jesus wept.
- John 11:35
I can relate to this. Though I’m not Christ, I do understand the heavy burden of having a heart for others. We can’t ever escape our own hearts, can we? The more sensitive the heart the greater the sorrow, it seems. Just look at how the prophet Isaiah described Jesus.

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
- Isaiah 53:3

The good news is that the Lord delivers us from adopted sorrow.

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
- Psalm 34:18-19

Often, when I’m feeling pressed down, the good Lord simply provides me with proper perspective. Just stepping back, seeing the big-picture, and remembering that life is short helps a lot.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
- Romans 8:18

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
- John 16:22

We have a lot to look forward to in Heaven.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”
- John 14:1-4

Life is but a drop in the bucket compared to eternity in Heaven. Sure, we might need to endure a bit of adopted sorrow in this lifetime, but the Lord is with us, empathetically providing us with everything we need to fight the good fight and finish the race (ala 2 Timothy 4:7). Our suffering is only temporary. Soon and very soon we are going to see the King!

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
- Revelation 21:1-7

Absorbing the sorrows of others is a wearisome task and something I’m sure I’ve wished away many times; but the truth is that it is a gift of sorts. Being able to empathize with others is a blessing because it forces me to remain consciously aware of the human condition. If I don’t have that, how motivated will I be to press on in the face of adversity? If I don’t have empathy, do I even have love? Paul wrote, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). That was his way of saying, “We’re all in this together so don’t close your heart to others.”

Adopted sorrow makes a person empathetic. This is a great source of motivation to help others in time of need.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
- 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

My friend, life is short. Whatever sorrow we must endure, let’s endure it together. I won’t close my heart to you, and I ask that you don’t close yours to me. We need each other. “Life is pain,” as a good friend of mine likes to say (yes, it’s a rip off from the movie, Princess Bride). I’ve always considered that to be a bit of an overstatement, but I get the point. In any case, let us accept the burden of others’ sorrow out of love.

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ [love].
- Galatians 6:2

Love in Christ,

Ed Collins