Compassion Towards Others
Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Luke 6:36 KJV
Be merciful (responsive, compassionate, tender) just as your [heavenly] Father is merciful. –Luke 6:36 AMP
Acts of Love and Compassion
Today, I heard someone speak on compassion and how that it’s not just something you do, but something you feel. I grew up believing that love is not a feeling, but an action word. Too many people get caught up in their feelings. Our feelings can bounce along varying point on the spectrum, depending on what’s going on in our life; but love isn’t that way. Acts of love, like mercy and compassion aren’t that way. I would say, mercy and compassion were ways to treat people, regardless as to how you felt. It was ingrained in me that you do, because God said so; and that’s love.
Feelings of Love and Compassion
Recently, I’ve been feeling that. There goes that word, “feeling.” I started feeling like, love is more than something you do out of obedience. Many people are obedient to their masters, dictators, employers and yet have no feelings of esteem towards them. There are many people who do towards others, but out of obligation or some ulterior motive. People do because they are supposed to, are obligated to, or expected to, or feel guilty if they don’t. None of that is reflective of love.
Love (and it’s attributes like mercy) are accompanied by feelings. Don’t just do a kindness, feel kindness. Don’t just grant an act of mercy but feel merciful. Don’t just be compassionate but feel compassion; although I don’t
think a person can be compassionate without feeling compassion when the root word is “passion.” I think about the parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge in Luke 18:1-5. The Unjust Judge “…said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me” (Luke 18:4b,5). He says, he does not regard man (not to mention does not fear God); but he has no regard for the widow. Regard means, “to look upon or think of with a particular feeling: to have or show respect or concern for”.
It matters how you feel towards people, not just that you do towards people. It blew my mind, this morning, to hear, the second part of that verse, “as your Father also is merciful”. I know that God has extended us mercy; that is, He has not given us (in a way of punishment) what we deserve for our unrighteousness. He has done something for us; granted us mercy. Until today, I don’t know that I ever truly received that our Father feels something towards us. I struggle to even put words to what I feel right now. I am overwhelmed with the idea that our Heavenly Father, has feelings of mercy, of compassion, and is tender hearted towards His creation. The Word says, “…He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil” (Luke 6:35). And we are called to be merciful, compassionate, and kind- not just to those who make it easy- but towards those who don’t make it easy (our enemies).
Conclusion
Be compassionate; in how you respond to others (in feeling and deed). It matters- not just for them, but for you. Ultimately you are blessed (happy) when you are a blessing.
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Definition (Regard) from Dictionary.com
Scriptures form BibleHub.com
