Where Is Compassion?

Have you felt like you've been in a raging storm upon the seas of life, tossed upon the waters, beat upon by the waves, stripped by the winds and thrown against the rocks? When you first set out on your course, the sun was shining, the sea was peaceful, and you were full of dreams and zeal. Of course you knew there would be storms along the way, but the young conquering heart wasn't afraid to hit some big waves. You just had no idea where the storms would come from, how intense the winds would be, how dark the night would become.

We don't have to look far to see and hear of brokenness, of heartache, and pain, of struggling souls, fragmented relationships and hurting people. At one moment it seems like it is way out yonder. Then you blink and you are in the midst of it. The storm seemed to rather have come out of nowhere.  

Not one of us is exempt from the effects of this sin cursed world. Physical ailments, terminal illnesses, spiritual warfare, emotional distress, struggling souls, moral decay, and wounded, bleeding hearts hardly scratches the surface of the fallen world in which we live. We all have storms and battles we face, and many, if not all of us have some battles we don't share about. To share oftentimes leaves us open and vulnerable to misunderstandings, critical spirits, and judgmental attitudes. We withdraw to seek protection, or cover up in public with laughter and gaiety, while back behind closed doors the anguished, burdened heart is breaking in two. In these times, we have a Saviour who has been touched by the feelings of our infirmities. He is not a distant God, but close at hand to enfold His child in His loving, comforting embrace.  

What is possibly the most difficult thing of going through a storm is the critical, judgments of those who think they know it all, and have all the answers. I imagine we have been on both sides due to our humanity. 

In our limited understanding of what another troubled soul is going through, we often come to quick conclusions and answers. Some may be accurate, but many times it's not all black and white as we may think. Over the years, I have come to see my own limited understanding of a situation or circumstance. How many times I thought I had the answer in my mind, not realizing how complicated a matter can be. We can be so quick to judge a person's "less than best" decision or any number of situations. We can be callous and quick to say, "I saw that coming" or "Well, what did they expect?" 

 Jesus says in Matthew 11 to "learn of Me for I am meek and lowly in heart. Romans 12:3 "For this I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think: but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."

We all fail. We all stumble. We all have a daily battle against sin, self, the world, and the devil. We are all susceptible to be overtaken in a fault. And here is the beauty of the gospel: We can all reach out and touch the hem of Jesus' garment in our weakest of times. Jesus is meek (gentle) and lowly in heart. He who knows it all and could have much to say in light of any given situation, offence, tribulation, entanglement of sin, or heartache simply says "Come unto Me, and I will give you rest." This is the beauty of Christ! He sees our human frailty and weakness and His heart churns with compassion and pity upon us. Not only does His touch of deep love and compassion bring strength and healing, it stirs us up to overcome. 

But what about us? When we see a fellow Christian battered and torn by a raging storm, or sinner groping in sin, or a wayward sheep that has lost its way- does our heart churn with the same love, pity and compassion for that person? And here is another angle to look at: what if they are not necessarily struggling- but simply on a different page than you or I? Perhaps they apply practical Scriptural teaching in a different way than you or I would. Perhaps they don't have the same convictions as we do. Are we so high minded that we struggle to fellowship with them? Do we think we have the answers or the corner on a particular subject? Do we walk with a chip on our shoulder and feel we need to drill certain "truths" whenever we have a chance to "speak into someone's life?" Maybe we don't say it outright to them, but nonetheless we think it, and may even tell another what "so and so" is doing wrong and what they ought to be doing differently. There is a phrase from a movie we sometimes like to quote in a fun, emphatic tone: "That's not Christian!" But really, isn't it oftentimes too true the way our "self" always wants to be right, and how often we put others down. May God help us!   

Have we taken the time to learn of Christ? Have we learned His meek and lowly heart of love to the point it has become our own? Do we allow ourselves to be touched by the infirmities of others without trying to "fix them"? May we walk with the gentle and lowly heart of Christ towards one another remembering that we are ALL equal at the foot of the cross. 

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another". John 13:35