There are moments when the world feels unbearably heavy when every headline, every cry, every act of violence or hatred seems to seep into your very soul. If you’re an empath, this isn’t just emotional fatigue. It’s spiritual maturation. You don’t just witness suffering. You feel it, carry it, weep for it. And in these sacred yet stretching times, we must begin honouring our spiritual gifts, starting with understanding them.

As someone who walks the line between ancient tradition and prophetic vision, I deeply value the spiritual inheritance of being an empath. Not as a curse but as a calling. Scripture reminds us in Romans 12:6 that “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.” Empathy is one of those gifts. It is the divine ability to feel others—to sense beyond the veil, to be moved deeply and compassionately, and to carry what is unseen by the world.

But how often has this gift been misunderstood? Misnamed? Demonised?

A Spiritual Gift, Not a Sin

Growing up Haitian, I was surrounded by a cultural understanding many in the West often lack. Even when family members were deeply rooted in the church, there was still room for honouring all of our spiritual heritage. Voodoo, while usually feared, was never negated. It was respected, named for its power, and not stripped of its place in the spiritual ecosystem. It was known that if the enemy is real, then surely God is, too—and vice versa.

This balance of the spiritual duality of reverence and discernment reminded me of the Scripture in Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world.” We are not naive. Spiritual gifts are real. Spiritual warfare is real. And we must be anchored in God to discern where our gift is used and for what purpose.

Reclaiming What Has Been Demonised

The colonised church, shaped by fear, empire, and white supremacy, has long demonised what it couldn’t control. Dreams, visions, intuitive gifts, and ancestral connections were rewritten as “witchcraft” or “rebellion” when outside the Western lens. But let’s be honest: the Bible is full of dreamers, seers, prophets, and healers.

From Joseph interpreting dreams in Genesis 41 to the Holy Spirit descending like a dove and speaking in tongues in Acts 2, the spiritual is central to the Biblical narrative. Why have we been taught to fear the very gifts God placed in us?

To reclaim your gift as an empath is to reclaim a part of God’s image. 1 Corinthians 12:7 reminds us, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” Your sensitivity is not a weakness. It is holy. It is for the common good—to uplift, intercede, bear witness, and heal.

What Is Mine to Carry?

With so much unrest, wars, genocides, and political cruelty, it’s no wonder empaths feel paralysed at times. But God did not call us to carry everything. That is His role. Ours is to ask daily, with intention: “Lord, what is mine to carry today?”

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest… For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Rest is not rebellion. It is obedience. It is trusting that God is still working, even when we are not. That the weight of the world does not rest on our shoulders alone.

Ask yourself: What is mine to carry today? What is not? Then, release the rest to God. He can hold what you cannot.

Emptying the Ocean with a Spoon

There’s a lie that tells us, “If you can’t fix everything, then fixing something doesn’t matter.” But I reject that. As empaths, lightworkers, and Spirit-led people, we may not empty the ocean, but we can carve bald spots into it. We can make lakes. We can leave ripples. And ripples become waves.

Galatians 6:9 encourages us, “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

So yes, I may only be one person. But I am ordained. And if all I did today was make one soul feel seen, one child feel safe, and one mother feels hope again, then I’ve done enough for today.

Final Word: Honour the God in You

To every empath, every spiritual gift bearer, and every person who sees, feels, and aches for the world, this is your reminder that you are not too much. Your gift is not a burden. It is a call.

Return to God often. Lay it down at His feet. Let Him restore, renew, and remind you that you are His. I am not made to fix it all, but blessed to be a light in your corner of the world.

You are allowed to rest. You are allowed to discern. You can honour your gift, even if others don’t understand it.

Because you were never called to be understood. You were called to be obedient.