Compassion is a powerful emotion that carries the potential to change the world around us. While empathy is a feeling that involves a caring, emotional response to the suffering of others, compassion adds to that a strong desire to ease our neighbor’s pain. It turns our concerns for others into action and is a critical emotion that moves us to bring hands and feet to the commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

In the 24th and 25th chapters of the book of Matthew, Jesus began his teaching concerning the signs of the End Times. The text contains warnings and distressing words surrounding the end of the church age. At the end of his sermon, Jesus talked about separating the “sheep” from the “goats” in reference to how God will judge the world and men’s deeds. He then offered an allegory:

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in; naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me.’”

In the parable, the men did not understand the king’s words since they had not done anything to help him. The king then clarified:

“Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to me.’”

“Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to me.’” @AJC #Freewheelchairmission #freewheelchairs #compassion
Click To Tweet

Regardless of one’s belief concerning Christ and his teachings, this passage should give us pause.

True Religion

It does not matter how many times we grace the doors of our sanctuaries, how many religious titles we hold, how often we read Scriptures, or how many hours we spend in prayer. Jesus’ warning is clear: If our religion does not translate into compassion toward the needy, we should undoubtedly search our hearts.

If our religion does not translate into compassion toward the needy, we should undoubtedly search our hearts. @AJC #Freewheelchairmission #freewheelchairs #compassion
Click To Tweet

Indeed, later on in the New Testament, the apostle James beautifully summarized Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels concerning religion:

“Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

In December 2022, I interviewed Dr. Don Schoendorfer, a bioengineer and founder of the Free Wheelchair Mission. In our conversation, I asked about the moment the idea for his organization was born.

Schoendorfer was in Morocco on vacation in 1979 when he witnessed a woman without legs crawling across a street while numerous people walked past the dirty, breathless figure struggling to make it to the other side of the road.

The scene never left his heart. Years later, God used the compassion Schoendorfer felt in Morocco to challenge him to use his decades working as a bio-engineer for the medical device industry to start the foundation that has provided free wheelchairs for 1.4 million people worldwide since 2001. His new book, “Miracle Wheels,” tells the story in a compelling way that has challenged me to think about how I am using my God-given talents to help others in need.

For me, it is sharing the Gospel’s life-changing message with women in shelters while providing for their needs, as well as teaching believers struggling with hardships to find the abundant life that Christ has promised through the unchanging truths of Scriptures.

What about you?

What is your niche? How can your experiences and gifts compassionately change the world around you?

Regardless of our financial status or feelings of inadequacy, genuine compassion finds a way to do something with the gifts and talents God has bestowed upon us to help others.

May we be challenged to find a way to turn our empathy toward the hurting and needy into compassion, lest our religion becomes empty and, worst of all, unnoticed by the King.

May we be challenged to find a way to turn our empathy toward the hurting and needy into compassion, lest our religion becomes empty and, worst of all, unnoticed by the King. @AJC #Freewheelchairmission #freewheelchairs #compassion
Click To Tweet

Find out more about Free Wheelchair Mission and the book at www.freewheelchairmission.org/. Listen to Patricia’s interview with Dr. Schoendorfer on her podcast below.

This article was originally published in Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday, February 11, 2023. Click HERE to find it on the AJC’s website.

Listen to the podcast episode below. If you are reading this in your email, please CLICK HERE to listen to the podcast. This interview is also available on YouTube. CLICK HERE to watch it.

Use the links below to share on Social media!

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• LinkedIn

The post Compassion Turns your Talents into Gifts {The Atlanta Journal-Constitution} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

They didn’t see his pain.

They didn’t notice his need.

They didn’t care that he was in the house of the Lord.

What they cared about was entrapping their perceived enemy, the one who threatened long-held traditions and the law that elevated them to a pious, powerful place. They wanted to defend what they thought they understood. Their goal was to prove their point.

So what they saw was an opportunity.

“He went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’” –Matthew 12:9-10

Jesus never mistook a person for an opportunity.

The perfect example of love, Jesus never used a person as a way of self-seeking.
Click To Tweet

In His response, He addressed the man, his pain, and his need. He also highlighted the God whose house the man was in. He had mercy on him. Jesus healed the man and redirected the conversation.

Much as they tried to make it about rightness, Jesus redirected them to God’s righteousness.

While they used men to serve their purposes, Jesus served men to fulfill God’s purposes.

Sadly, we tend to be more like the Pharisees.

Too often, we regard people as obstacles like when we:

• Are curt with people for efficiency’s sake
• Place convenience over kindness
• See other people’s challenges as hindrances or provocation to compare ourselves

Other times, we use people as a means to our ends, like when we:

• Expect people to be the means to our happiness
• Enable others so we can avoid confrontation
• Complain to loved ones so we feel better, regardless of how it affects them

Will you join me in asking the Lord’s forgiveness for seeing people as opportunities to be served instead of as opportunities to serve?

I’d like to be more Christ-like in my view of others, how about you?

LINKUP PARTY opens at 6 am EST!

Christian Bloggers, come share your Blog with our audience below:

1. Add your Link.

2. Visit the blogger before or after and encourage them with a comment.

3. Share on social media. Click below to share on Twitter that you are joining us! We would love to have you follow the ministry on Twitter and Facebook as well: Soaring with Him FB Page

LINKUP PARTY is open! Today, @BethanyMcIlrath invites us ponder: Do we see people as opportunities to be served... or as opportunities to serve? JOIN US! Also for a chance to be featured as next week's Guest Blogger.
Click To Tweet

Would you like to be considered for a guest post on next week’s Linkup, June 13th?

All you have to do is: 1) link your recent blog post, 2) tweet that you are joining us and 3) add our button to your blog (code is on the sidebar.)

We will  contact the winner this Friday!

 

The post Seeing People as People {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.