Matthew 5:7 (NLT)
God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Years ago, I attended a Christian rock festival. On the third day (no pun intended), a speaker filled the silence between bands. He related an experience that shaped his life more than any other- meeting Mother Theresa. It wasn't at all the way he’d imagined it however.
His group flew to India and ventured into the slums of Calcutta, hoping to meet and be inspired by the seasoned saint. For several hours they stood on the sidelines, avoiding the broken bodies, poverty, and hopelessness there. Then finally, the iconic servant arrived. They swarmed her and offered their gratitude and praise for her work here and what an inspiration it had been for them. Angrily, Mother Theresa snapped and scolded them. “ I've looked in on you for several hours and you've done absolutely nothing! Learn compassion. Here is an endless supply of people to love, bodies to wash, spirits to mend, rags to change, water to distribute, wounds to clean, disease to fight. The best way you could serve is getting back on the plane and leaving.”
The point was made. Things changed. Over the remainder of the week, they learned compassion and what it was all about. They learned the difference between simply caring for someone and having compassion on them. The word compassion itself means caring for someone so much that you hurt for them in your gut. To continue our journey to the mind of Christ, we must inherit his compassion, this gut wrenching compassion, for people.
Be compassionate…
Application: As the opportunity presents itself today, be compassionate. To the stranger off the street, the irritating co-worker, the rebellious kid, or the spouse you take for granted.
Mindful Meditation: Visualize the compassionate acts of Jesus (both in the Bible and those you've seen). Pray and ask him for the transforming of your mind so you can practice such compassion.
