I seek to serve the last, the least, and the lost in my community.
“Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
Psalm 82:3-4
Do you consider yourself to be a compassionate person? This question is one of many that would land on a self-assessment for those who seek to be on the growth path to be more like Jesus. Compassion is an important practice of the Christian life. Compassion International, a Christian organization seeking to care for children around the world who live in significant poverty, offers a compelling definition of compassion. They believe that having compassion is recognizing the suffering of others and then taking action to help. The Latin root word for compassion is pati, which means “to suffer,” and the prefix com means “with.” Compassion literally means “to suffer with.”
The challenge for most of us is twofold. First, we struggle to be aware that someone is suffering. Often, we are not personally connected to people deeply enough to know if they are suffering or the ways in which they suffer. Secondly, we are at a loss of what to do when we know someone is suffering. Often our quick fix efforts can end up hurting more than helping.
Let me offer some advice to address these challenges.
Recognize the Need
One in five adults in the United States experienced mental illness over the past year. This is a consistent and staggering statistic indicating the level at which people are suffering. This fact only highlights the mental suffering. There are many who suffer physically, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally as well. Stop and observe those around you each day. Discard the devices of our day and engage more deeply with those closest to you. Chances are, someone in your home is suffering.
Make a list of the top 10 people you are closest to in your life, not just family, and commit to communicating with them more often than you have in the past. Be intentional to set aside time to chat about life and focus on the blessings and the challenges each person faces. What questions could you ask someone that would help you know them better and understand their needs? Once you recognize the needs, you might just be able to bring some peace in your response.
Respond with Compassion
Paul writes that Christians should rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn (Romans 12:15). Both actions require engagement with others at a deep level. Rejoicing with and mourning with suggest that compassionate people come alongside others in times of celebration and in times of great trials. They are not afraid to get dirty when suffering is taking place, to help with wise counsel, or to serve when a practical need has come up. This kind of compassion builds stronger bonds and unifies the body of Christ.
People might experience compassion from you if you sit and listen to their hurts and pray with them in a season of worry or pain. They might feel your compassion if you were to help them with practical needs such as mowing their lawn or cleaning their home when they are experiencing significant physical pain. Compassion on display communicates the love that God desires from his people.
Jesus modeled for his disciples what it meant to be compassionate. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, exorcised demons, listened to people as they came to share their hurts, and brought overwhelming peace. The disciples stood by, watching and serving Jesus as he worked. Jesus charged his disciples to go into the world to recognize the needs of all people and to respond with compassion. In compassion they shared the good news of the gospel, cast out evil spirits, and healed sickness just as Christ had done. This work was not possible without the power, authority, and capacity for compassion given only by the almighty God, through the work of the Son, and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus commissions us to continue his work of compassion (John 20:21), and makes his transforming power available to all who believe and seek to carry out his will (John 14:12-13).
PRAYER
Father, compassion is not an easy practice, yet you call me to be compassionate to all people. Thank you for your Word that explicitly tells me what it means to be compassionate. Thank you for the ministry of Jesus whose beautiful compassion is on display. Help me to recognize when people are in need, and help me to respond with appropriate and loving compassion to be an instrument of peace in other people’s lives. Whether it is by word or deed, may the gospel go forth to those who are suffering. Amen.