Compassion, as Christ's followers

I thought this was a very good article and thought others might like to read it as well. There are so many hurting people in this world....who knows if our compassion and the love of Christ coming from our hearts will help someone?

by Ruth MacDougall

What is compassion? It is a word that keeps coming to mind as I simply live my day and see the lack of it all around me. The Bible is full of instances where God as Father and Son, in both the old and new testaments, was known to be compassionate, but that act or feeling is not, and should not be, unique to God alone.

We are commanded in Colossians 3 v12 "And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience..." Why? - because we are chosen of God, we are His children and these characteristics reflect the love of God.

Compassion is the first word here and compassion is a feeling. Deeds of kindness and acts of mercy can only follow a heart that has compassion. We talk about God's mercy and kindness and graciousness to us who are not worthy, but God first had compassion on a lost and needy world before His greatest act of love and mercy occurred, - the sending of His Son to become a sacrifice for us. It began with compassion and if we desire to become like Christ we need to have a heart of compassion too. If our hearts are hardened they cannot be compassionate. We must have those tender hearts of flesh that God gives us and we must allow that compassion to be there.

Our wills come into play too. We can look on a particularly needy situation and our minds can actively turn away. We can sever the connection between our mind and our heart in order not to feel compassion.

Why do we do this? Why do we prohibit our hearts from feeling? I believe it is because a heart that is full of compassion can move us into action. Compassion for the poor can cause us to dip into our pockets and give. Compassion for someone suffering in mind or body can cause us to stop what we're doing and help. It causes us to give up our precious time, our energy, our money, and our plans for ourselves and to give, give, give!

So in our human selfishness we put number one first, and keep our hearts locked securely away incase they betray us.

But, Hallelujah, God is greater than our hearts. God is full of compassion and full of mercy, for us poor sinners who harden our hearts. God NEVER gives up on us. In His continual graciousness and kindness and mercy, borne out of compassion, He gently molds us and, not so gently, His Word pierces that hard heart and as we find mercy in our time of need, we in turn can and must show mercy to others in their time of need.

Ephesians states, "...and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you..."

We are not asked to do anything we haven't been shown how to do, or to do it in our own strength. We are asked to be obedient children of God, following our Father's will, learning from Him and in so doing we're building our treasure in heaven, caring for souls that are precious to God. If we could understand the grace of God and really know that but for His grace we would be rejected and cast aside, we would readily show mercy and compassion to those who don't yet know that grace of God.

We are Christ's ambassadors! It's quite an awesome thought, but it's a job that He equips us for, and works in us and through us. We must lay aside our 'selves', submit to the Father and give as He gave.