Having compassion

 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. – 1 Peter 3.8-9

 

The whole purpose of this letter it to encourage believers how to be examples while going through tough times.

 

Jesus told the disciples that the way the world would know we follow Him is if we had love for each other. Love is an inward thing, but it must manifest itself in outward action. One of the clearest ways to prove love is to show compassion for others. Compassion means that we have the ability to feel for others. Literally it means to ‘share in suffering.’

 

For most of us that does not come naturally because we only have minds for ourselves. The love of God working in my life thought will give me the ability to take the concerns of other on me. It means that instead of judging we have compassion and concern.

 

A couple of years ago I was taking the lads to a rugby match. We stopped for fuel and a lady pulled up. She was furious at everything. She pulled her car to the wrong side of the pump and was screaming about how the hoses should be longer. I looked up to see if I could help and she screamed at me ‘what are you looking at you stupid paddy?’

 

Ouch, I started to get riled but controlled it. When I paid and got back in the care Hudson, who was about 7 at the time, said ‘I wonder why that lady is so sad, Grampy.’

 

Now that’s compassion. He was able to sense her pain instead of seeing her behaviour. That’s the heart that true love produces.

 

It’s certainly something that needs work in my life.