Show compassion (1)
2020-02-09Philippians 2:4 NCV
Many dictionaries define compassion as sympathy, pity, or concern – all emotional responses. But the compassion of Jesus goes beyond emotion and translates into action. The Bible says: ‘When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honour to others than to yourselves. Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others’ (Philippians 2:3-4 NCV). Putting other people before ourselves can be really tricky, especially when those people frustrate us. Sometimes other people have been hurt, and they have messy lives, which can make them challenging to love. In Luke 23:43, Jesus showed compassion to a convicted criminal on the cross and saved him. The criminal said: ‘”Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise”‘ (vv.42-43 NIV). We shouldn’t pick and choose who we’ll show compassion to. God cares about the needs of every single person, and we should care about their needs too. If we only care about our own needs, or the needs of those who are easy to love, we’re not acting like Jesus. We need to see beyond ourselves, even when we’re going through a tough time. There are always people around us who need support. The Bible asks: ‘If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?’ (1 John 3:17 NIV). Showing God’s love to people means being concerned about the needs of others, and being willing to step up and help.