God's Glory Church

“Finally, be like-minded, compassionate, brotherly, merciful…” – 1 Peter 3:8

Making benches is not part of James Warren’s professional duties. However, he took up this craft when he saw a woman in Denver sitting in dust on the ground while waiting for a bus. This is humiliating, Warren thought. And so the 28-year-old HR consultant found some boards, built a bench and placed it at the bus stop. They immediately started using it. James learned that there were about nine thousand stops in the city, and many of them had nowhere to get on. He made another bench, then several more, and on each he wrote: “Be kinder.” What did he long for? “To make people’s lives a little better,” James replies.

This is called “compassion” – a feeling that moves us to help people in their needs, as Jesus did. When a crowd of people gathered near Him, He “had mercy on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd” (Mr. 6:34). Compassion went into action: Jesus “healed their weak” (Mt. 14:14).

This feeling should guide us as well. “Clothe on… in sincere charity,” urged the apostle Paul (Col. 3:12). What will we get in return? Warren says, “I feel like I’m living for nothing. It’s like air in the tires of my car.”

There are many needs around us, and God will draw our attention to them. Let these needs motivate us to translate compassion into concrete actions so that people can see the love of Christ in action.

Have you ever helped people with their needs? What can you say about compassion?

When I see pain or need, Lord, fill my heart with the compassion of Christ and move me to action.

Author: Patricia Raybon |