COMPOUNDED PASSION

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

I heard that Norman Vincent Peale once surmised that COMPASSION was PASSION COMPOUNDED.

Isn’t that good?

Compassion is our passion for others.

It is when our inherent LOVE for others is often moved to action! 

And at the risk of sounding a little Pollyanna-ish this morning, the old song is right, “What the WORLD needs now is love, sweet love.”

It does.

And as followers of CHRIST we need to LEARN love and be the EXPRESSORS of LOVE.

Paul gave love its place of significance as he closed the famous love chapter in 1 Corinthians 13. 

Jesus distilled 3 years of ministry and miracles into 2 simple mandates rooted and motivated by love; having PASSION for the FATHER and PASSION for others.

So just how do we reinvigorate ourselves to being people of COMPASSION, people who have a deep love for others?

Well I can think of no better place to explore than into that aforementioned letter to the folks at Corinth.  And yes, it is familiar prose often shared in weddings and such, but given the current climate of things I don’t think it hurts revisiting it as we prepare for today?

Do you?

1 Corinthians 13:4-9,13 (TPT)

Love is large and incredibly patient.

Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else.

Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance.

Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor.

Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense.

Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong.

Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. 

Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up.

Love never stops loving. It extends beyond the gift of prophecy, which eventually fades away. It is more enduring than tongues, which will one day fall silent.

Love remains long after words of knowledge are forgotten.

So above all else, let love be the beautiful prize for which you run.

Friends let’s make COMPASSION and LOVE be our GOAL, the prize we run for today.  Embody the wonderful attributes of love with your family, your co-workers, your barista, the fella running the counter at the gym, that friend you haven’t thought of in a while, or maybe even someone who you have recently found a little less than lovable!

Remember love never stops loving.

Do that and trust me.

You will be blessed. 

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. 

If you want to be happy, practice compassion. - Dalai Lama

Have a blessed and loving day…

I love you all.

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE