2017 A Year to Increase Compassion

2017 A Year to Increase Compassion                            Kelly Durant 1-7-17

1 John 3:16

16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.  1 John 3:17

But whoso hath this world's good, and sees his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwells the love of God in him?

2. According to a Miami Herald article that I found last week, people here don’t care for each other in our neighborhood. (http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article123076079.html) Observe that we see that Miami, and Hialeah rank almost at the very bottom of 100 cities in the U.S.A. in showing compassion on people with needs. In other words, we live in one of the coldest hearted cities in America! I am not surprised by this discovery, you and I can feel it day to day from our neighbors. There are many nice people here but it is obvious many people have never been taught nor exposed to what showing compassion really means.   

Many of you may not even perceive this sad phenomenon though. This level of indifference and rudeness is just normal for you in your day to day actions. What we are focusing in on here is nothing new as Jesus told us that “the love of many will wax cold”.  Sadly, our expectancy in this decaying world is that year after it will be getting worse.

But look at with this focus, the people of the world are getting worse but it should not be that way with us who know to live differently with God’s love!  We are renewed from day to day with Jesus and the Holy Spirit and we should be getting warmer and more loving, caring, and compassionate from day to day.

Today let’s examine ourselves and our immediate surroundings as they relate to how we are serving one another. You and I live here and we must do an assessment, are we a part of the problem, or a part of the solution? Now that a year has gone by, have you assessed all that has happened to you? People that knew you a year ago, what do they think of you now? What does God think of you? Only you know the secrets He will hold you accountable for. What about all that has happened in our community and what could you or I have done to make it better?

3. The question of the day is: How much compassion do you have really have for others? What you think about yourself and what God and others perceive could be very different. Proverbs 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.

There are many verses in the Bible that command us to show compassion but few people make big progress towards this. In the verses of today in 1 John 3 it basically helps you to see that a person that says they love God and do not do anything to help those in need is basically lying. Words must be accompanied by deeds to be true.

I have talked to hundreds of people that have had bad experiences with pretend be Christians. These people explained that they needed something emotionally, spiritually, or physically and that the church’s pastor or leaders let them down. Have you ever been let down? Have you ever let someone down? Jesus never let anyone down, he fed 5,000 that later He said some were following Him just for the food; Jesus healed the sick that often did not thank Him like only 1 leper out of 10, but He preached and gave love as God’s main message even though in the end He was not loved and appreciated by all.

Showing compassion for others proves you love God! Like in Matthew 25:43-45

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

4. Have you ever thought about it but you cannot be made to show compassion? It’s like that Bonnie Raitt song that says, “I can’t’ make you love me if you don’t, I can’t make your heart feel something it won’t.” The reality is that unless a person is a true Christian and fully decided to live practicing the love of God as Jesus did it, there is no chance of that person ever having compassion come out of their heart causing them to do something good for someone without personal interest.

Jesus stated the reality of how people’s hearts are in Matthew 15: 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

The truth is the world in which we live in is made up of people making our community into a hell because of their selfishness, indifference, and unconverted heart. Only Jesus, compassion, and love can change our human hearts of stone, so how do we change?  Start first with yourself! To combat this evil you and I must have Jesus as the answer. This is why only Jesus makes logical sense as the solution as He was and is the only enlightened teacher (Son of God) who lived and died to exemplify to us, the decrepit humans we are, how to make a better world like in the Kingdom of God where all are ruled by compassion and love.

5. So this new year if you want a new goal for 2017 pray to practice that of having more compassion!   Having compassion takes on many forms, one is that in being active in providing for the basic needs of another. In the majority of the churches today you would never get that opportunity, but that is not the case with us, we provide food, toys, shelter, and many things all the time. If you want to practice 1 John3 here, just show up here to load and unload boxes of food and help us when we organize and distribute. Ask yourself, have I ever helped the Captain and his team with the food or toy distribution? Have I ever prayed with Cuban or Venezuelan refugees who show up for clothing? I know many of you have helped others who have nothing, God bless you!  

The Salvation Army represents one of the most important ministries in the community because it is not just an old institution seeking to enrich the institution and leadership making the church more luxurious, but rather it is a mission that exists to help with the needs of people. You and I must be involved in serving others. If we do not participate in the day to day activities then you will never get to fully understand what our movement, or Christianity for that matter, is all about. This means that you will live your Christianity compassionate challenged! In my opinion if you never ever sweat or cry while doing ministry, if no sacrifice is ever made, it may mean your faith is false! Obeying Jesus will tax you, but it is eternally worth it!

What is worse than a savorless, indifferent, uncompassionate Christian? The kind that won’t even say, “Good morning” to you while at church? Jesus warned that those who know to do His will and did not do it, would be judged for not being compassionate…. Luke 12:47

And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

6. There are also some other aspects to include on practicing compassion. One other way compassion is manifested is that in understanding another person and not criticizing them.  Most everyone has rough edges and you and I cannot smooth those out for them, it is something they must work on with God. What are your weak areas? It is the Holy Spirit that changes minds and hearts and it took years of God working on me to get me to be where I am at today to be willing to serve anyone, anytime, anywhere. In my pride in my youth I only wanted to be surrounded by vain and cool people but I changed totally.

What we do know is that love covers a multitude of sins, and when we see a fault, the best thing is to tell that person in private some advice that could help them. We need to do our best to try and get past having personal conflicts over issues that may not matter so much in the big picture. Often the compassionate thing to do is to just, “let it pass”.

Learn to let pass the things that are not perfect according to your expectations. Compassion is getting to know other people. When you wonder why a person is the way they are, take time to ask them about their story about how life has been to them. If they are trying to be close to God, then we must trust God that they will learn the lessons they need to learn in time. God does not govern over bastards but sons, and God does send us lessons. When I see my brothers and sisters angry at one another over things, often due to a lack of love, forgiveness, and compassion, I know God’s spirit is not yet in total control. Don’t let yourself be like the scribes and Pharisee hypocrites who criticized Jesus for everything, such as healing on the Sabbath. Some people don’t live nor let live as they find something wrong with everything and everyone all the time. If you don’t like how the food was made or the mess to clean up, ok, then you be in charge next time!

7. Remember in your service here that you are just here serving others to please Jesus in the end, so how does He see your attitude in your service and practice of compassion? You or I are not pleasing Jesus if there needs to be a struggle over who controls what, or who is in total control of something. The 12 disciples were a team. Everything that will ever be done may not be as you or I want it, but we need each other.

In the Salvation Army we are at war with evil, at war against poverty, suffering, and our fight is to rescue souls lost in despair. Our fight is never amongst ourselves. In war battles things never turn out as planned, in wars some battles are lost, some things get damaged, and some people desert the battlefield.  And some people instead of having their brother’s back let them get shot! But we keep on fighting because the final victory will be won by Jesus and his angels!

There are many things that get done around here that I would do differently, but because I am thankful for the service of others, I don’t stress the situation by making others do things exactly my way.  Compassion allows for flexibility. Compassion should not allow for rudeness though, and when someone is in a bad mood, edgy, or upset, it would be better they take some time out to pray and get back in tune with God’s spirit so they do not offend others and make all the good getting done turn out to leave everyone with a bad vibe in their spirit. Compassion is treating everyone with love and respect especially when you don’t feel like it.

8. I think just living life we all get opportunities to do something for someone, to help them when they first arrive in this country, to help them when they have lost their job and need to pay bills. There are people walking in our doors daily that need help.

Not all help is just physical. We can help others by praying for them, listening to them, and doing at least what we can to let them know God loves them and we do too. Love and compassion is the essence of life, hope, and faith.

1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. Ask yourself, am I doing this in the capacity that God expects? If you don’t get better at being like Jesus from year to year you may be getting worse or more bitter, not better! Be like the compassionate Good Samaritan who was enemies with the other man but helped him anyway!