My daily devotional with an encouraging thought for your day.
2 Corinthians 1:1-4 says, "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God".
Let's look again at verse three: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort".
Philippians 2:1-4 says, "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the other".
Let's dig deep into verses 2-4: "Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the other".
Compassion is an important word in the Christian faith. According to the Oxford Dictionary, compassion is defined as, "sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others". There is no one that has more compassion for us than the Lord. These verses above remind us of how the Lord wants us to be compassionate for others. We are to put others before ourselves, and even above ourselves. The word compassion always reminds me of the word empathy. Whenever I am showing someone empathy for a situation they are going through, I often feel like I am showing them compassion.
“A heartfelt tear can show our love as words can never do; It says, "I want to share your pain - my heart goes out to you” - DJD
Compassion is often associated with grief. We show compassion towards those who are in mourning over the loss of a loved one or those who have lost a job. Have you ever heard the word compassion being used in a joyful situation? I haven't, so if you have, please let me know what the situation was!
How to Show Compassion
Showing compassion is one of the hardest things to do for some people. Personally, I have no struggle showing compassion. In fact, sometimes I think that the amount of compassion I am able to show and feel is a curse. I have this quality where I am able to put myself in someone's shoes. Like deeply put myself into their situation and understand their feelings. It's why I cry when I read a book or when Austin and I are watching 9-1-1 on Monday nights. Showing compassion is one of my strong suits. There are lots of different ways people can show compassion, especially if it's a skill you lack. I'm going to make a list for y'all of simple ways to show someone compassion when they need it most.
Prayer
Baking them something sweet - cake, cookies, pie, etc.
Cooking them a meal or multiple meals (especially meals they can freeze and just throw in the oven for an easy dinner night!)
Give them clothes, shoes, food, etc.
Donate money to them
Clean their house
Wash their car
Listen to them
Give them a hug
Hold their hand
Babysit their kids so they can relax
Mow their lawn
Shovel their driveway
These are just a few ways we can show compassion to others. By showing other compassion, they may be able to show someone else compassion. That's how we form a circle of compassion.
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