I was reading recently about what Professor Matthew Dickerson of Fuller Seminary had to say about compassion. He first describes sympathy as trying to understand the difficult experience someone else is going through, and it is the first step in caring for another. He goes on to say empathy is working to feel what they are feeling, and it is a step towards love. But compassion is deeper and touches our innermost self, moving us to action. The Lord is compassionate with us and we are called to be compassionate with others. David says in Psalm 145:9, “The Lord is good to everyone and has compassion for everything that He has made.” That includes us! Every day we experience His compassion and He wants us to be like Him in showing compassion to others.
How do we do that? We seek to understand what someone is going through and feel what they are feeling, which often leads us in doing something for them. It may mean self-sacrifice of time and energy, but we are entering into what they are going through. This is such a wee example, but it gets to the point. A friend who had knee surgery is gluten-free and has to be careful of what she eats. I sent her a card and we had been praying for her, but it was like a word to me from the Holy Spirit…make her G.F. cookies. She can have that, and I found joy in making them for her and she was overjoyed to receive them. Other times the Lord may ask us to sit with someone who has experienced loss, or to help someone who is overwhelmed, etc. We can be His hands and feet if we do it with compassion and love. Paul goes on to say in Col.3:14, “And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.”
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