“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32 ESV)

“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart and a humble mind.” (1 Peter 3:8 ESV)

What is compassion?

According to google, it’s “sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.”

So are you compassionate towards others? I try to be. There are times I fall short. But some people can really push my buttons. But that isn’t an excuse. I’m sure there were times when Jesus wanted to roll his eyes and knock a few people into next week. But, as far as I know, he didn’t.  So what did Jesus do? He loved them. He was compassionate towards them. Even the ones who crucified him.  

In Luke 23:34 He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Wow! Even while nailed to the cross, He had compassion for those killing Him. I don’t know if I could be that kind to someone trying to kill me.

But I have noticed that I have become kinder as I get older. I no longer drive past people on the side of the road begging for money. If I have any, I will try to stop and give them some. You never know what a person is going through or what their circumstances may be. A couple dollars may mean a hot meal or at least a cup of coffee.

It’s getting colder now. More and more people are becoming homeless in our country because of the pandemic. Most have no idea where their next meal will come from, let alone where they will spend the night. I have heard of people committing petty crimes just to be arrested. That way they are warm and out of the weather at least for a little while. They may even get a meal. So the next time you start to drive on by that person begging. Ask God what to do. He may want you to have compassion and be a blessing to them.

Kathy Keller