A Compassionate Heart
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Colossians 3:12
The meaning of compassion is to recognize the suffering of others, then take action to help. Compassion is expressed from a caring heart that helps others. What is the difference between compassion and the agape love God puts into our hearts? Agape love is a sacrificial love that voluntarily suffers inconvenience, discomfort, and even death for the benefit of another, without expecting anything in return. Compassion and agape love are very similar, but it appears that compassion is the caring heart that drives agape love. A person can perform agape love out of discipline because it is pleasing to God, but compassion drives the heart to execute agape love. Christ saw hurting people, and he had compassion for them and he healed them.
How do we develop a more compassionate heart that cares about those who are suffering and hurting? What drives us to minister lost souls to Christ? Love and compassion comes to us from God through the indwelling Holy Spirit as we live by God’s law of love. The more we minister to lost souls and hurting people, our heart opens to receive more of God’s love and compassion. The law of love is giving and receiving, which is the way God designed all creation. We are created to give God’s love and compassion to others, and if we continue giving, our heart becomes more compassionate, like the heart of God.
Colossians 3:12 above states “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” As compassion fills our heart from ministering to others; kindness, humility gentleness, and patience also fill our heart, because they are the character of a compassionate heart. The more we minister to others, the more Christ-like we become.
We are created to have a compassionate, loving heart, and it is the only way to truly live a fulfilling life, because this is the way God designed us. Being secure and humble, gentle with our speech, with kindness and patience; is how we reflect God’s caring compassionate, loving heart. The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. (Psalm 116:5) God is love and compassion and we are being molded to the mind of Christ – love and compassion.
Today reflect God’s love and compassion. Develop more compassion by taking the time to notice others and their difficulties and hardships. Seek out hurting and lost souls to help and to minister. Let the Holy Spirit guide you to be Christ-like today.
Prayer: Lord, help me to have a heart filled with compassion and love for others. Guide me through the Spirit to anyone who needs your love, compassion, and encouragement. Lord, you know every heart and I need your guidance to identify people that need you. Help me to be Christ-like with my thoughts, words, and actions today. In Jesus name, Amen.