Keep you heart of compassion open
By Joel Osteen
The Ability to Empathize
One definition of compassion is simply “feeling what other people feel, being concerned, showing that you care.” In other words, when you see somebody in need, you feel their pain. You take time to comfort them. When somebody is discouraged, you feel that discouragement. You take it to heart and you do your best to cheer them up. If you see somebody struggling financially, you don’t just pat them on the back and give them a quick Scripture verse. No, you take time for them, and you do what you can to help. You have a genuine concern. You show them that you really care.
Everywhere you go these days people are hurting. People are discouraged; many have broken dreams. They’ve made mistakes, and now their lives are in a mess. They need to feel God’s compassion and His unconditional love. They don’t need somebody to judge and criticize them, or to tell them what they’re doing wrong. (In most cases, they already know that!) They need somebody to bring hope, somebody to bring healing, somebody to show God’s mercy. Really, they’re looking for a friend, somebody who will be there to encourage them, who will take the time to listen to their story and genuinely care.
This world is desperate to experience the love and compassion of our God. More than any other human attribute, I believe our world is crying out for people with compassion, people who love unconditionally, people who will take some time to help their fellow sojourners on this planet.
We’re all so busy. We have our own priorities and important plans and agendas. Often, our attitude is: I don’t want to be inconvenienced. Don’t bother me with your problems. I’ve got enough problems of my own. But the Scripture says, “If anyone sees his brother in need yet closes his heart of compassion, how can the love of God be in him?” Interesting, isn’t it? God’s Word implies that we each have a heart of compassion, but the question is whether it is opened or closed.
Furthermore, the Bible says, “We are to continually walk in love being guided by love and following love.” When God puts love and compassion in your heart toward someone, He’s offering you an opportunity to make a difference in that person’s life. You must learn to follow that love. Don’t ignore it. Act on it. Somebody needs what you have.
Certainly, when God created us, He put His supernatural love in all of our hearts. He’s placed in you the potential to have a kind, caring, gentle, loving spirit. You have the ability to empathize, to feel what other people are feeling. Because you were created in the image of God, you have the moral capacity to experience God’s compassion in your heart. But too often, because of our own selfishness, we choose to close our hearts to compassion.
If you want to live your best life now, you must make sure that you keep your heart of compassion open. We need to be on the lookout for people we can bless. We need to be willing to be interrupted and inconvenienced every once in a while if it means we can help to meet somebody else’s need. If you study the life of Jesus, you will discover that He always took time for people. He was never too busy with His own agenda, with His own plans. He wasn’t so caught up in Himself that He was unwilling to stop and help a person in need. He could have easily said, “Listen, I’m busy. I have a schedule to keep. I’m on My way to the next city, and I’ve already been delayed.” But no, Jesus had compassion on people. He was concerned about what they were going through, and He willingly took the time to help. He freely gave of His life. I believe He demands nothing less from those who claim to be His followers today. Many people are unhappy and are not experiencing life to its fullest because they’ve closed their hearts to compassion. They are motivated by only what they want and what they think they need. They rarely do anything for anybody else unless they have an ulterior goal in mind. They are self-involved and self-centered.
But if you want to experience God’s abundant life, you must get your focus off yourself and start taking time to help other people. You must exhibit and express God’s love and goodness wherever you go. You must be a person of compassion. If you will focus on meeting other people’s needs, God will always make sure your needs are supplied. God will take care of your problems for you.
Take the Time to Listen
Interestingly, Jesus was very patient with people. He took the time to listen to their stories. He wasn’t in a big hurry. He didn’t try to see how quickly He could get rid of a person so He could move on to somebody more important or do what He wanted to do. Instead, He patiently took the time to listen to each person’s struggles. And He did what was necessary to meet their needs.
Sometimes if we would just take the time to listen to people, we could help initiate a healing process in their lives. So many people today have hurt and pain bottled up inside them. They have nobody they can talk to; they don’t really trust anybody anymore. If you can open your heart of compassion and be that person’s friend without judging or condemning—and simply have an ear to listen, you may help lift that heavy burden. You don’t have to know all the answers. You just need to care.
More than our advice, more than our instruction, people need our listening ears. Many people simply need somebody they can talk to, somebody with whom they can be honest. They just need a friend they can count on. You will be amazed at what a positive impact you can have in the world if you will just learn to be a good listener.
We need to learn to be better listeners. God can speak to people and tell them what to do while they’re speaking to you about their struggle. Don’t always be so quick to give your opinion. Be sensitive to what the real need is in the person you hope to help. Too frequently, what we really want to do is just shut them down, give them a quick word of encouragement, a semi-appropriate Scripture verse, and a fifteen-second prayer; then we can go on and do what we want to do. But God wants us to take time for people, to hear with our hearts, to show them we’re concerned, to show them we really care.
Reaching Out
God knows what He’s doing. He knows who’s hurting. He knows who’s at the end of their rope. If you will follow that flow of love and compassion wherever it leads, you may be the answer to a desperate, lonely person’s prayer. You may not fully realize the impact one brief phone call can have. You may not realize the significance of what it means to a hurting, lonely person to hear the words “I’ve been thinking about you. I’ve been concerned about you. I love you. I believe in you. I want to be praying for you. I’m going to stand with you.” You may have forgotten how powerful and life-changing those simple words of hope can be. Let love lead you through life. Don’t ever ignore that feeling of compassion inside you. Learn to follow the flow of God’s divine love. He will direct your paths and show you where and how to express it. God may be prompting you about somebody to whom you need to reach out. If somebody’s name keeps coming up in your mind, and you feel compassion toward them, do something about it. Don’t put it off; make a phone call; stop by to visit that person, or make contact in another appropriate manner.
An Irreplaceable Moment
Most of the time, when we reach out to other people, when we follow that flow of love, we think we’re doing it for their sakes, for their benefit. But I can tell you first hand, sometimes God puts that compassion in our hearts as much for our benefit as for others’. Keep your heart of compassion open. Learn to be quick to follow that flow of love God puts in your heart. Be sensitive and obedient to do what God wants you to do. You won’t be sorry—not now, or a million years from now!
The Ability to Empathize
One definition of compassion is simply “feeling what other people feel, being concerned, showing that you care.” In other words, when you see somebody in need, you feel their pain. You take time to comfort them. When somebody is discouraged, you feel that discouragement. You take it to heart and you do your best to cheer them up. If you see somebody struggling financially, you don’t just pat them on the back and give them a quick Scripture verse. No, you take time for them, and you do what you can to help. You have a genuine concern. You show them that you really care.
Everywhere you go these days people are hurting. People are discouraged; many have broken dreams. They’ve made mistakes, and now their lives are in a mess. They need to feel God’s compassion and His unconditional love. They don’t need somebody to judge and criticize them, or to tell them what they’re doing wrong. (In most cases, they already know that!) They need somebody to bring hope, somebody to bring healing, somebody to show God’s mercy. Really, they’re looking for a friend, somebody who will be there to encourage them, who will take the time to listen to their story and genuinely care.
This world is desperate to experience the love and compassion of our God. More than any other human attribute, I believe our world is crying out for people with compassion, people who love unconditionally, people who will take some time to help their fellow sojourners on this planet.
We’re all so busy. We have our own priorities and important plans and agendas. Often, our attitude is: I don’t want to be inconvenienced. Don’t bother me with your problems. I’ve got enough problems of my own. But the Scripture says, “If anyone sees his brother in need yet closes his heart of compassion, how can the love of God be in him?” Interesting, isn’t it? God’s Word implies that we each have a heart of compassion, but the question is whether it is opened or closed.
Furthermore, the Bible says, “We are to continually walk in love being guided by love and following love.” When God puts love and compassion in your heart toward someone, He’s offering you an opportunity to make a difference in that person’s life. You must learn to follow that love. Don’t ignore it. Act on it. Somebody needs what you have.
Certainly, when God created us, He put His supernatural love in all of our hearts. He’s placed in you the potential to have a kind, caring, gentle, loving spirit. You have the ability to empathize, to feel what other people are feeling. Because you were created in the image of God, you have the moral capacity to experience God’s compassion in your heart. But too often, because of our own selfishness, we choose to close our hearts to compassion.
If you want to live your best life now, you must make sure that you keep your heart of compassion open. We need to be on the lookout for people we can bless. We need to be willing to be interrupted and inconvenienced every once in a while if it means we can help to meet somebody else’s need. If you study the life of Jesus, you will discover that He always took time for people. He was never too busy with His own agenda, with His own plans. He wasn’t so caught up in Himself that He was unwilling to stop and help a person in need. He could have easily said, “Listen, I’m busy. I have a schedule to keep. I’m on My way to the next city, and I’ve already been delayed.” But no, Jesus had compassion on people. He was concerned about what they were going through, and He willingly took the time to help. He freely gave of His life. I believe He demands nothing less from those who claim to be His followers today. Many people are unhappy and are not experiencing life to its fullest because they’ve closed their hearts to compassion. They are motivated by only what they want and what they think they need. They rarely do anything for anybody else unless they have an ulterior goal in mind. They are self-involved and self-centered.
But if you want to experience God’s abundant life, you must get your focus off yourself and start taking time to help other people. You must exhibit and express God’s love and goodness wherever you go. You must be a person of compassion. If you will focus on meeting other people’s needs, God will always make sure your needs are supplied. God will take care of your problems for you.
Take the Time to Listen
Interestingly, Jesus was very patient with people. He took the time to listen to their stories. He wasn’t in a big hurry. He didn’t try to see how quickly He could get rid of a person so He could move on to somebody more important or do what He wanted to do. Instead, He patiently took the time to listen to each person’s struggles. And He did what was necessary to meet their needs.
Sometimes if we would just take the time to listen to people, we could help initiate a healing process in their lives. So many people today have hurt and pain bottled up inside them. They have nobody they can talk to; they don’t really trust anybody anymore. If you can open your heart of compassion and be that person’s friend without judging or condemning—and simply have an ear to listen, you may help lift that heavy burden. You don’t have to know all the answers. You just need to care.
More than our advice, more than our instruction, people need our listening ears. Many people simply need somebody they can talk to, somebody with whom they can be honest. They just need a friend they can count on. You will be amazed at what a positive impact you can have in the world if you will just learn to be a good listener.
We need to learn to be better listeners. God can speak to people and tell them what to do while they’re speaking to you about their struggle. Don’t always be so quick to give your opinion. Be sensitive to what the real need is in the person you hope to help. Too frequently, what we really want to do is just shut them down, give them a quick word of encouragement, a semi-appropriate Scripture verse, and a fifteen-second prayer; then we can go on and do what we want to do. But God wants us to take time for people, to hear with our hearts, to show them we’re concerned, to show them we really care.
Reaching Out
God knows what He’s doing. He knows who’s hurting. He knows who’s at the end of their rope. If you will follow that flow of love and compassion wherever it leads, you may be the answer to a desperate, lonely person’s prayer. You may not fully realize the impact one brief phone call can have. You may not realize the significance of what it means to a hurting, lonely person to hear the words “I’ve been thinking about you. I’ve been concerned about you. I love you. I believe in you. I want to be praying for you. I’m going to stand with you.” You may have forgotten how powerful and life-changing those simple words of hope can be. Let love lead you through life. Don’t ever ignore that feeling of compassion inside you. Learn to follow the flow of God’s divine love. He will direct your paths and show you where and how to express it. God may be prompting you about somebody to whom you need to reach out. If somebody’s name keeps coming up in your mind, and you feel compassion toward them, do something about it. Don’t put it off; make a phone call; stop by to visit that person, or make contact in another appropriate manner.
An Irreplaceable Moment
Most of the time, when we reach out to other people, when we follow that flow of love, we think we’re doing it for their sakes, for their benefit. But I can tell you first hand, sometimes God puts that compassion in our hearts as much for our benefit as for others’. Keep your heart of compassion open. Learn to be quick to follow that flow of love God puts in your heart. Be sensitive and obedient to do what God wants you to do. You won’t be sorry—not now, or a million years from now!
posted by Jowl at
9:34 PM
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