I was sitting having a conversation with my oldest son one day. As we were talking, someone we knew walked up and sat down with us. They began to talk so much that they dominated the conversation. Now mind you, our work schedules don’t allow us much time to sit and talk so we value the time that we do get. Not only were they taking over our conversation. They were telling me about something in their life that I honestly did not care about. I just didn’t see it as an important thing. I wasn’t showing it, but inwardly I was getting frustrated. Then I felt Jesus telling me, “It’s important to them. If it’s important to them, then it’s important to Me. And if it’s important to Me, then it should be important to you.” Well that got my attention and I listened intently. They needed someone to talk to. I couldn’t solve their problem, but I could listen. They needed compassion.
We all want compassion. Whatever the situation is that we are facing, we want compassion. We want someone to care. The problem is when we have to give compassion. Now I think I’m generally a compassionate person. Even if you are a compassionate person there are things that you find no interest in. There are times that you may think “just get over it.”
When someone is hurting and telling you about it. What they don’t need to hear is a condescending voice saying “you poor baby or get over it.”
A very personal story for me is a story about my Daddy. Daddy was going to a church somewhere between here and yonder. He was seeking the Holy Ghost and praying hard. A man approached him after one service and said, “John, I don’t know why you can’t get the Holy Ghost.” To which my Daddy replied, “Neither do I.” Then in a belittling tone the man says, “Well it’s plum easy.” This offended my Daddy. He said, “Well, if it’s that easy then keep it.” He walked out of that church never to return. You see when we don’t offer compassion when it’s needed. The thing we do offer is offense. Job needed compassion, but all his friends had to offer was offense. Remember that a brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle (Proverbs 18:19 KJV).
You may think to yourself, “well they’re just too sensitive.” Do be careful because Jesus said whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea (Matthew 18:6 KJV). That’s a very serious comment. Let it not be said that we were quicker to hand out offenses rather than compassion.
The Word says comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient toward all (1 Thessalonians 5:14 NET). All! Be patient towards all, comfort, help, encourage all. Not just the ones you like, not just the ones you understand, but all.
My sister Carla was telling me about something once that had her very upset. I listened to her unload her burden. As she finished up she said, “Thank you for listening, I know you don’t understand, but thank you.” She knew me well enough to know this. I cared about her though and she needed to talk.
What about people that seem to have no compassion? I’m sure you’ve met some people like this that just seemed to have no compassion at all. You know the people that you think to yourself that they don’t have a caring bone in their body. So what about the compassionless? You see we have to show them compassion too. Remember all means all. Why don’t they have compassion? Who knows, but maybe showing them compassion will change their heart.
Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience (Colossians 3:12 ISV). You see compassion is supposed to be like the clothes that we wear. We should display compassion, people should see it in us so much that it is like a garment that we wear. So be compassionate to everyone. If you don’t have anything to say, that’s okay. Sometimes you just have to listen, but be compassionate. Finally, all of you be like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous (1 Peter 3:8 WEB).
Jude 1:22 KJV And of some have compassion, making a difference.
A little more on this.
Understand that compassion is not always supporting someone’s decisions. If someone is making a bad decision you shouldn’t support that. You can support them and not their decision. Compassion is not coddling someone, it’s supporting them in a good way. If you’ve ever had to call a customer support line to solve an issue that you were having with something. You’re not calling for a pat on the back. No, you’re calling to find out what you’re doing wrong. Paul wrote to preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all patience and teaching (2 Timothy 4:2 WEB). Reprove, rebuke and exhort may not sound nice, but if it’s what you need it is. If someone is telling what you’re doing wrong and they are doing it in a spirit of love then that is compassion.
Hebrews 10:24 WEB Let’s consider how to provoke one another to love and good works.
Galatians 6:2 WEB Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
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