Run to the BrokennessSample

Day 7: Passion for Your Community:

When Jesus looked at the crowds, He wasn’t frustrated. He wasn’t annoyed. He wasn’t detached. Matthew 9:36 tells us that “he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” That verse doesn’t just describe how Jesus felt—it reveals how leaders are called to live. Compassion is the heartbeat of a shepherd. And shepherds don’t run from the pasture—they stay in it.

God doesn’t just call pastors to preach sermons. He calls them to love cities.

And here’s the hard truth: if you don’t love the place where God has planted you, you’ll never lead it well. If your heart is already somewhere else—chasing a platform, dreaming of a bigger city, or waiting for a more “exciting” assignment—your people will feel it. Passion leaks. But so does indifference.

Jeremiah 3:15 (NIV) offers this promise: “Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.” Shepherds like that aren’t tourists in their communities. They’re residents. They’re rooted. They carry the burdens of the people not just from the pulpit, but in prayer, in meetings, in city halls, and in school gymnasiums. They don’t check out emotionally just because the job gets tough.

Pastoring a city means staying when it’s hard. Praying when you feel dry. Serving when the budget is tight. Investing when it looks like nothing is growing.

Psalm 37:3-4 (BSB) speaks to this kind of faithful posture: “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” The promise of fruit always follows the command to dwell. Not drift. Not daydream. Dwell. Dig roots into your community. Choose faithfulness over fantasy.

There will be times when you’re tempted to run. When comparison creeps in. When other pastors’ platforms or cities seem more appealing. But as Galatians 6:9 (NIV) reminds us: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” That’s not just true for your church—it’s true for your soul.

Some harvests don’t come in the first year. Or the fifth. But they come to those who stay. To those who press in. To those who ask God not just for strategy, but for heart transformation.

And here’s the beauty: when your heart breaks for what breaks God’s heart in your city, your people will follow. They’ll catch the vision. They’ll run toward the brokenness. Because they’re watching you.

That’s why Paul could boldly say in 1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV), “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Because when passion is real, it’s transferable.

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be present. Present with your people. Present with your city. Present with God.

So ask Him today: Lord, give me Your heart for this place. Help me to love it like You do. Help me to stay when I want to leave. And help me to lead like a shepherd who reflects You.

Because when passion and obedience meet, miracles happen.