It's easy to be compassionate, right? I mean, most of us have no trouble feeling sympathy for someone who is having a hard time.
Who doesn't feel badly for our friend who's marriage just failed?
Who doesn't feel sorry for our neighbor who just lost their job?
Who's heart doesn't break a little bit when we see the homeless man standing on the corner?
But what do we DO about it? Having compassion and Being compassionate are two different things.
God tells us to be compassionate with our actions. This is something I've been personally working on. I don't want to just feel badly for someone who's struggling, I want to DO something that will actually HELP them in their struggles. Sitting on the sidelines and thinking "Oh man, that's awful... sure wish there was something I could do" while not actually finding something to do. I'm afraid that has been me way too many times.
On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. – Obadiah 1:11
That verse hit me like a ton of bricks this week. When we see an injustice and don't step in and do something to help, it is like WE are just as guilty of the injustice being done. When we see a need that needs to be met and don't step up and try to meet the need, we just aren't being compassionate. And God requires us to do that.
I have so many friends who inspire me on a daily basis. They are truly compassionate with their lives. They look for ways they can make a difference, not just sit on the sidelines, feeling pity for those they see who are hurting. They take action.
"When action-oriented compassion is absent, it's a tell-tale sign that something's spiritually amiss."
The sad fact is that too many Christians sit on the sidelines. They go to church, put their 10% in the offering plate, maybe even read their bibles each day, but are they doing the work that Jesus requires of them? Are they taking care of their fellow man?
I had 2 different instances this week where someone went out of their way to help me. It was just a couple of little things to them, but to ME, they were HUGE. It meant somebody cared enough to notice me. It meant somebody cared enough about me to DO something about my need. And it made a big impression on me that stayed with me all week.
I've been guilty of thinking of something little that I could do for someone, and then NOT doing it, because I think it's too little. I convince myself that it wouldn't make enough of a difference, so why bother. I think if I don't do something BIG for someone, then it doesn't matter. ---I'M NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THAT LIE ANYMORE.
The little things DO matter. I'll bet those people that did those things for me this week have probably completely forgotten about them. They were so little to them.... but they have lingered with me. They meant ALOT to me.
I'm going to try to look for little things this week. Little ways to be compassionate. Little pokes of God's love to my friends. Little words to say to someone that might be exactly what they need to hear. If we ask God to guide us in the little things, I am sure they will end up as HUGE things.
"Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous." I Peter 3:8
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