Mark Roye and his friend Mike Lynch partner in a ministry called Blood-n-Fire, an expression of the life of Jesus Christ through outreach to the poor. Mark and Mike were leading a team for Compassion Acts, and they had come to build a playground for Safe Haven. We were privileged to have them join us for Operation Justice.
True compassion is an
emotion that triggers action. Pity is not compassion. And the poor don’t need our
pity.
Matthew 9:35 & 36: Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
The King James version says: He was moved with compassion. Compassion engenders action. Jesus is compassion incarnate.
Where was Jesus found? With sinners and tax collectors. Religion rejected sinners. But Jesus just loved people. He saw the potential in people. We see it in the stories of Zaccheus, Matthew, Simon... Jesus poured His entire self into them. Jesus saw potential that others didn't see. He saw with the eyes of love.
Compassion is incarnating
the love of God and becoming a channel or conduit of it.
God does not judge you
for who you are. He judges you for who you
refuse to become.
Religion asks: ‘Why are
you doing this?’ Compassion knows.
If we don’t go, who will
go? When we go, God comes
into the situation. Jesus said: ‘I desire
that you learn what compassion is’.
Compassion
- enables us to love people that you would not normally love
- will redefine your structures and your methodology (new wine for new wineskins) – it is always better with Jesus; you can expect that some of your concepts will shift, change and die
- releases the supernatural
- opens your eyes and your heart so that you see Jesus and so that you do what Jesus did; it changes your motivations and perspectives
- raises up workers (the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few...)
- cause you to be no longer content with normal or average
- simplifies life down to its essentials
- highlights the real priorities
NB: Compassion is like a muscle. You will lose what
you have gained here if you don’t use it.
Make a decision not to
lose what you have gained. Find where you can be
involved in a compassion related ministry. See how you can continue
to help. Foe example, it costs what it costs to
drink a bought coffee each day to provide for a rescued child.
The Scriptures come alive in the context of compassion:
Isaiah 61:1-3:
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
We have been given much freedom. But the freedom is for a purpose.
Gal 5:13:
The freedom we have is
not to be used for our flesh – it is to be used in service to others
Freedom to choose is
motivated by how we feel. Compassion reigns
alongside justice.
Justice is to fight for
what is right, to have the courage, the drive and the motivation to do
something about it. And out of that place comes the creativity you need to strategize and find solutions. You have to put yourself
out there, outside your comfort zone, where compassion can arise.
Do something about what
God has put on your life
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