The higher your faith, the more selfless you will be. You will spend more time praying for others than you do for yourself. You will give God all your own troubles and spend your time concerned with the troubles that others around you are facing.
Show grace to other people knowing we are all in this together. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with feelings of compassion and with kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Colossians 3:12 CJB).
Compassion is of the heart and not the mind. Compassion is not learned though it can certainly be explained. True compassion is never done out of duty but out of a tender love and a sweet desire to care for the lost and the hurting.
We’re afraid to love people because we’re afraid they won’t love us in return. Love them anyway. “Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]; and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance” (Ephesians 5:1-2 AMP).
Compassion does not wait to be told what to do but acts when a need arises. Compassion is an active emotion that prompts the one who has it to look for what others are in need of. Compassion flows outwards and has as its resource the love that comes from heaven.
The greater you love someone, the more your actions will prove it. “My children, our love should not be only words and talk. Our love must be true love. And we should show that love by what we do.” (1 John 3:18 ICB).
Compassion is never earned or traded but comes with no strings attached. True compassion cannot be given with an expectation of payment. Compassion is as elusive to be seen as love but is something as tangible as the air you breathe.
You cannot receive more until you give more. Jesus taught, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8 NKJV).
We all desire compassion and seek to find it in every situation we find ourselves in. But when we only focus on ourselves, we will be lacking in our purpose from heaven to show compassion to others. It is alright to desire compassion but don’t let that get in the way of what God would have you do.
Other people have no idea of all you are going through, and the same is true for them. “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous” (1 Peter 3:8 NKJV).
Compassion moves us to pray, but it also moves us to act in many practical ways. Prayer is good, and it is sometimes in answer to prayer that we are called to do something. If God is leading you in prayer, then God will lead you when you are doing things as well.
Let your words be few and your actions be telling of the life of Christ within you. “As far as God is concerned there is a sweet, wholesome fragrance in our lives. It is the fragrance of Christ within us, an aroma to both the saved and the unsaved all around us” (2 Corinthians 2:15 TLB).
Compassion is something you can pour out in abundance and yet never lack the filling that you started with. The more compassionate that you are to others, the more at peace God will make you with yourself. Don’t seek to receive more than you give, or you’ll find yourself always wanting.
To give is gain, and to only take will leave you wanting. “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35 NKJV).
God places people in front of you every day that need your compassion. They might be difficult people, but that is not your problem. Your problem is yourself in thinking only some deserve your compassion. Compassion is never to be given based on what someone deserves but only with mercy.
It takes a greater strength to extend mercy than to exact revenge. “Then this message came to Zechariah from the Lord: ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other’” (Zechariah 7:8-10 NLT).
Compassion is the sum of mercy and grace wrapped up in a state of heavenly emotion. Compassion is loving your neighbor, and loving your neighbor fulfills all of the Scriptures. The higher faith reaches the higher things that will only come from the resources of heaven.
It is not your ability to change others that determines your effectiveness as a Christian, but your willingness to love them just as they are. “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:14 NKJV).
Be compassionate to people around you. Show compassion to that person who doesn’t deserve it. Let compassion be the word people would use to describe you. Have compassion in your heart and have compassion pouring out in abundance to everyone around you.
We don’t have to agree with each other to love each other. Jesus taught, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12 NKJV).
Blessings to you,
Paul Balius