This is the message you have heard from the
beginning: We should love one another. We must not be like Cain, who belonged
to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain
had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was
righteous. So don't be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates
you. If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have
passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. Anyone
who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know
that murderers don't have eternal life within them. We know what real love is
because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives
for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees
a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God's love be in
that person? Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let
us show the truth by our actions. 1 John 3:11-18 NLT
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| Mosaic near the Sea of Galilee Jesus was compassionate when He fed 5,000 people. Matt. 14:14-21 |
Compassion is like wisdom. To be caring and
loving is a blessing from the Lord. A gift, so to speak…although not what Christians
would classify as a “gift” of God or “Gift” of the Holy Spirit. Loving God and
loving others is what living is all about—it is what is important…to me anyway.
Jesus said it…actually commanded it…So
now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved
you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the
world that you are my disciples." John 13:34-35. He pointed out to a
young follower who asked…"Teacher,
which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, 'YOU SHALL
LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH
ALL YOUR MIND.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like
it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' Matthew 22:36-39 NASB.
Pretty simple…although not always easy to do. I’ve found that I have to humble
myself to put God first. I want to do things MY WAY…and that might not be God’s
way or His will. And then He wants me to love my neighbor as myself?! That
means I have to love myself and I don’t always feel like that. It is just too
easy to be hard on myself…I don’t always meet my own expectations and life isn’t
what I wanted or thought it would be…but I need to accept myself for who God
made me. I am OK—so I can be accepting and caring—even loving or compassionate
towards others…for everyone is my neighbor. If
someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for
the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he
has not seen. 1 John 4:20 NASB. Love others…show compassion and care about
them. God created them, too. Love God…love others. How compassionate are you?
Has God given you the wisdom to be compassionate?
Prayer
~ Jesus, open my eyes and heart to see ways that I can show compassion and love
to others around me.
© 2016 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT)
unless otherwise noted.
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