COMPASSION IN CONNECTION
Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
Romans 12:14-16 (NLT)
Relationships are hard. Even the person that you love most in the world can be trying from time to time. And rest assured, they’d likely say the same about you. But we are called to live compassionately, just as Jesus did. The verses above give us some incredibly practical feedback on how to go about doing that.
First things first—we bless those who persecute us. That means instead of trying to get even, or maybe ahead, we seek to forgive and bless. Jesus speaks in the sermon on the mount about turning the other cheek and going the extra mile (Matthew 5:38-42). This is not an easy thing to do, but it is the compassionate, Christ-like thing. Instead of cursing them, pray that God would bless them. I’ve found that it’s difficult to remain furious with someone if I’m consistently praying that God would shower them with blessing and favor.
Next, we want to connect with where people are. If those around us are rejoicing, let’s not grow indignant that they would dare to celebrate when all is not perfect in our own world. Join in their joy! But by the same token, if all is well in your world, but those around you are having a difficult time, don’t grow frustrated that they’re killing the mood. Weep with those who weep. Yesterday, we spoke about sharing each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2); this is an extension of that.
Finally, we endeavor to live in harmony with all people. Now, we can only control our part of this. Some people are determined to be disagreeable. But in as much as it depends on you, live in peace with them (see Romans 12:18). A helpful part of this is to not be prideful or arrogant; we must remember that we don’t know it all. Jesus was the very picture of humility in His interactions (see Philippians 2:3-8).
May we navigate our relationships, even the difficult ones, especially the difficult ones, with compassion.
APPLICATION:
On a scale of 1-10, how’s your relational health? Starting with those closest to you and working out to those you interact with regularly, how healthy are your relationships? Are they marked by the compassion of Christ? What relationships need some work? What obstacles stand in the way?
PRAYER:
God, help me to love others the way You have loved me. Help me to love the difficult people in my life, especially those who might consider me an enemy. Help me to live with Your compassion, walking humbly and graciously with all. In Jesus’ name, amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?