Most people struggle in their subconscious mind with issues beneath the surface that are not easily seen with our human consciousness (Galatians 6:2). We experience the trauma of life and bury the memory, as well as our thoughts and emotions surrounding that event, with it.
We never know what a person is experiencing when we see them face-to-face. We may be tempted to judge their body language, words, and attitude. However, showing them that we care may be all they need to feel better and to walk away from their negative thoughts and emotions.
The Lord wants to teach us the significance of compassion for our self and others. This helps us to look beyond the surface, into the other person’s eyes - the windows of our soul - to see what is going on inside of them. We show them that we genuinely care about them, and we pray for God to bless and keep them.
God gives us His discernment to notice the emotion which the other person is carrying, and the compassion we need in order not to judge each other, but to cry or rejoice with one another at all times (Romans 12:15-16). Compassion is empathy with a huge dose of love included.
I cry often as I listen to an individual's issues because my heart is broken for them. God’s compassion in us helps others to see that we really, really care about them. We discard our hypocrisy, envy, and gossip, and help them to see the goodness of the Lord by our attitude toward them (1 Peter 2:1-25).
Gods strengthens us with His power, love, and self-control to overcome fear (2 Timothy 1:7). This helps us to step outside of our comfort zone and to really pay attention to people when they talk to us. He gives us His heart toward them, so we can more readily feel compassion for them.
Prayer:
Father God, thank You that nothing, not even life events or physical death, is able to separate us from Your love (Romans 8:35-39). We do not want Satan to use our body for sin, because Your Spirit makes His home in us (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Sin grieves Your Spirit, and causes us to fail to receive Your blessings (Ephesians 4:30-5:17; Romans 6:13). Teach us to have Your compassion for our self and others.
Unless we are Born Again by Your Spirit, we cannot see Your Kingdom (John 3:3). We thank You for freeing us from the inclination to live for our human desires, and for helping us to live in Your will for us instead (1 Peter 4:2; Romans 8:2; Luke 14:27). Thank You for giving us both a desire and Your power to work out our salvation through the guidance of Your Spirit (Philippians 2:12-13).
Thoughts for the Day:
God promises to walk with us through the valley of the shadow of death, so we have nothing to fear (Psalm 23:4). We even rejoice when He disciplines us as we stray from the protection of His straight and narrow road (Revelation 23:4). In His compassion, He vows to wipe away all our disappointments, the tears from our eyes, and many illnesses in our body both now and especially when we cross over from earth into Heaven (Revelation 21:4).
