“Compassion- sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.”
When I think of the word compassion I first think of Jesus. This is what I believe is one of His best characteristics. The Bible talks a lot about God’s compassion for His people. In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 it says “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” God displays His compassion in many ways. One of the ways he displays His compassion is through this verse. It reminds us that even in the midst of our sufferings He is there to comfort and love us unconditionally no matter what circumstances we are in. I feel secure in knowing that God has such a caring, compassionate heart for His people.
When I think of compassion I also think about having a heart SO full of God’s love for His people; it’s a love that can be displayed through us to share with everyone around us. We can show our compassion by giving to others without expecting anything in return.
“When action meets compassion lives change.”
I wanted to leave with you a few ways we can show compassion through our actions:
- Be kind- We can show kindness through acts of service. Reaching out and doing things for others and not expecting anything in return.
- Encouragement- Show that you care when someone is upset. Listen to their heart and if they need encouragement we can encourage them with our words and that’ll show we truly care about what’s going on in their lives. Sometimes even opening up and being vulnerable with what’s going on in your life could really be encouraging to others as well.
- Volunteer- Another way of showing compassion is reaching out to our community. There are many ways we can do this. Whether that is helping out at a local outreach program through church or joining a team that does weekly soup kitchens which is a place where you can help prepare dinners and serve them to those who don’t have a lot to eat. Through all of that we can just love on people and even the smallest things count, whether it’s asking how their day is or asking what their interests are, that could mean a lot to them.
My prayer is for our hearts to be open for God to fill with more compassion so that other people will see it shine through us!
Krystyn Slauenwhite works within her family business Sojourn Signs in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Some of her passions include writing, working with kids, being with family and friends and traveling. She is continuing to further her interest in the business world.
You can follow Krystyn on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and her personal Blog.
Defying Shadows 
I think you’re right in saying that compassion = action to produce change. too often people equate compassion with feeling sorry for someone, but until we’re motivated to step in to do something like volunteer or offer encouragement, our feelings are worthless. thanks !