NEWS

Formed by compassion

In a disciple’s journey to become more and more like Christ, sometimes the challenge is less in the major life decisions along the way but more in the continual forming of our inner lives. One such area is in a disciple’s capacity for empathy and compassion.

It’s easy in the constant cacophony of sad news, dysfunctional people and trying times to lose our sense of compassion for people and become solely focused on our own goals and ambitions of the moment. To forget in our ministries to serve and grow those serving alongside us, to neglect to take time to build the relationships within our family rather than to set the perfect schedule.

In those moments let the Book of Hebrews remind us, ‘For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who had been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet He did not sin’ (Hebrews 4:15). To build empathy is to build Christ-like priestliness. To love those in weak moments reveals our Saviour more clearly than being refined in our human endeavours.

For those of us in need of compassion to reach out for help is also a wonderful discipline. The very next verse in Hebrews says, ‘Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence’ (Heb 4:16). To ask for grace is to approach our God and it is to build relationship and intimacy with Him.

Both the giving of our compassion, and the receiving, are wonderful acts a disciple of Christ has to form their inner beings.

So how are you this week? Do you have empathy to give? Do you need compassion in your life? Let’s be bold to reach out to God in our inner lives this week.

Amen.

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