The word “compassion” has been bouncing around in my mind a lot lately. I look around me and I see a world full of people who want so bad for someone to care about them, and love them. Then I look at “God’s people” and see a lack of compassion for the hurting people all around them, and it saddens me. What is our problem?!
“Compassion” comes from two Latin parts that mean- to suffer (pati) with (com). Jesus Christ knows the true meaning of the word. He knows what it’s like to suffer with us in our pain, our struggles, and our heartaches, and He commands His people throughout the Scriptures to have compassion on one another.
…be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous
1 Peter 1:8Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.
Hebrews 13:3
We have a perfect example of a life full of compassion, by looking at the way Jesus Christ himself lived while on this earth. Can we then, really call ourselves “followers of Christ” or “God’s people” and live a life without care or compassion for others? No way!
But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.
1 John 3:17-19
We need to learn to show Christlike compassion!
I think as Christians we are failing miserably in this area. Sometimes we act like we simply don’t care about people. We, without knowing it, use our ”busy” lives as an excuse to not have to care. That is not being a true follower of Jesus Christ at all!
God Almighty saw you in your sin, every lie, lust, evil thought, every blasphemous word you’d ever spoken, EVERY sin you have ever commited! He knew that the Father’s wrath must be satisfied and that you would have to pay for those sins yourself by spending eternity in a horrible place called Hell unless there was a substitutional sacrifice. He had compassion on you and sent His Son to bear your sins on a cross and die a cruel death, that He, who lived a perfect and sinless life did not deserve, all so you didn’t have to, and so you could spend an eternity in Heaven with Him. That is true compassion!
And yet…we’re “too busy” to help a neighbor mow his lot, drive an older lady to the grocery store, donate time to help serve homeless people food, or “can’t afford” to give money to send missionaries to tell people who are dying daily without Jesus Christ, that He loves them and died to take their place.
…and the list goes on.
There is so much we could be doing to show Christlike compassion to others, but we claim to be “too busy.” What kind of excuse is that? What is our problem?!
We need to open our eyes, and our hearts, and realize that there are hurting people all around us. We need to reach out to them in every way we can with the compassion of Jesus Christ. Pray that God would give you a greater burden for hurting people.
You may be the only “Jesus” they ever see. How are you portraying Him? Are they seeing a “Jesus” who loves and cares about them deeply, and is always there for them? Or are they seeing a “Jesus” who just simply is too busy for them and doesn’t really care about their needs?
We need to make sure we are sending out a clear reflection of Jesus Christ!
For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Matthew 25:35-40
