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Compassion in the Heart of a Christian

The story is told that legendary football coach Vince Lombardi would open every training camp by holding a football in his hand and saying “Men this is a football.”  Lombardi believed that if you were going to win, you should focus on the fundamentals.

For the believer, compassion is fundamental to the Christian life.

The bible teaches that our God is a God of compassion.  Psalm 86:15 says  “But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion…”

When you talk about Jesus, His life was marked by compassion.  Listed below are some examples from the gospels:

In Mark 1:41 (The story of the leper) “The leper said to Him…”If you are willing, You can make me clean.  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”

In Mark 8:2 (The story of Jesus feeding the 4000)  Jesus said “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.”  So, Jesus takes seven loaves of bread and a few fish to provide a meal – all because He had compassion.

In Luke 7:13 (The story of Jesus raising the widow’s son from the dead) When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”  He, then, gave her hope by raising her son from the dead.

Biblical Compassion is more than just showing sympathy (to feel sorrow for someone) or even empathy (to identify with another person’s suffering). To have biblical compassion means to suffer with – to feel what that person feels and to enter into their suffering.  To want to affect the situation!

Biblical Compassion Will:

  • Lead us to pray!
  • Lead us to go! (90% of compassion is just showing up!)
  • Lead us to give of our time, talent and treasure!

 Someone has said “Compassion leads to action!”

 Are you a compassionate Christian?

To whom do you need to show biblical compassion?

— Robert Dorrough, President of TGOHM

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