USEFUL COMPASSION

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.

The last couple of months I have been at “a bunch” of recovery/trafficking events and have spent a little time with medical folks and science folks.

And it was during one of the many recent sessions that a presenter, and sadly I can’t recall exactly which one provided some remarkable insight regarding COMPASSION.

He/She remarked that COMPASSION resides in a very different place in the brain from that of EMPATHY or SYMPATHY. I found that fascinating.

For EMPATHY as Brene’ Brown surmises is “feeling WITH people” and is a key to CONNECTED relationships.  Sympathy on the other hand if not careful often creates “disconnection”.  I share a little cartoon video when I offer my presentations on the ROLE of the CHURCH in RECOVERY that does a really good job of explaining this further. You can find it on YOUTUBE.

Yet the presenter went on to say that EMPATHY and SYMPATHY reside in “passive” areas in the brain.  So, while I can feel them, share them, offer them, and they are often soothing and helpful, they don’t often SPUR me to DO SOMETHING more.  Make sense?

My empathetic or sympathetic response to a friend or situation can be impacting and even helpful for the other party, but it doesn’t MOTIVATE ME to much more action.

Compassion on the other hand resides in a PART of the BRAIN that is NOT PASSIVE but ACTION ORIENTED.  So, COMPASSION often will DRIVE a response, PUSH one to act, and require a next step.

Isn’t that interesting?

In other words, COMPASSION often makes things “personal”.

Jesus is an example of COMPASSION causing ACTION!

Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. – Matthew 14:14 (NLT)

Jesus could have gotten off the boat and felt sorry for the hurting, even offered a little empathy but instead HIS COMPASSION moved Him to TAKE ACTION!

The Bible is saturated with compassion. It seeps through the pages of the Old Testament, pours out of the Gospels, and presents itself as a CHALLENGE to followers of Jesus.  It tells of a Savior who suffers for the world due to his COMPASSION for it, and it asks us to live and act similarly.

Emerson reminds us that, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be USEFUL, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

USEFUL COMPASSION.

That is the encouragement for today.

If you encounter some suffering today allow the ACTIVE part of your brain to guide your NEXT step.  Move from sympathy to empathy to compassion and EXPERIENCE WHAT GOD will have you DO next!

Remember the words of James,

Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:15-17 (NIV)

I love you all!

Have a BLESSED WEEKEND!

Opportunities for Hope