A Heart for the Lost

When was the last time you grieved for those who don’t know God? I don’t mean a passing moment of concern but real, gut-level compassion. The kind that grips your heart and moves your feet.

Jesus had that kind of heart. When He saw the crowds, He saw more than numbers. He saw broken people, wandering like sheep with no shepherd. And He wept with compassion.

I remember attending a missions conference back in the early 2000s. Located in the Philippines, the place was full of life. Different ministries and local tribes had booths bursting with culture. There were woven fabrics, bamboo walls, interesting artifacts, and powerful stories of transformation. It was a joyful testimony of the gospel’s reach.

Then there was one booth—completely empty. No decorations. No sound. Just a bare table with a sticky note that read:

“Nothing is here because no one is there.”

That straightforward message cut through the chaos. It represented the “S” tribe, which was an unreached people group. No workers. No gospel. No witness.

People stopped. Some cried. Others prayed. And right there, something divine happened. Churches, mission organizations, and individuals from different backgrounds began to talk. A Spirit-led partnership formed, and what started as an empty booth became a movement.

That tribe is no longer unreached—they know Christ. Even more, they are sending their own indigenous missionaries to other tribes.

Jesus doesn’t call us to admire the harvest. He calls us to enter it. He’s looking for people who do more than admire. He wants people who will weep, pray, go, and send.

I encourage you to ask God to give you a heart like His. Start by learning about one unreached people group. Pray for them. Partner with someone serving in hard places. Mobilize your small group or church. Be willing to go where no one has gone yet.

Application Questions:

• Select an unreached people group to learn about.
• Find one other person and share the group you selected and ask them to pray with you.

Prayer:

"Lord, break my heart for what breaks Yours. Open my eyes to the lost around me and beyond me. Move me from comfort to compassion. Amen."

Cris Uy
Manila, Philippines
Global Vice President, South East and South Asia