What is compassion?
Compassion is…outreach,
love, empathy, agony/painful, understanding, caring, selfless, mindful,
companionship, unashamed.
Defined, compassion
is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by
misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.
Melba Petillo Beals, author of Warriors Don’t Cry, says compassion
is…tenacious, courageous, architect of hope, cheerleader, guardian, risk
takers, comforters, fair, playful, daring, welcoming, spiritual, understanding,
givers of dignity.
A compassionate ministry is made up of compassionate people.
What does a compassionate person look like? A compassionate person is someone
who strives to put the needs of others before their own. This doesn’t mean that
they will always achieve this high standard, but they make the attempt. A
compassionate person goes to the broken and hurting. They look beyond the
rough, dirty, and tough exterior and look to the heart; they do their best to
make an impact and be a light in another’s world.
A compassionate ministry portrays all the things stated
above. A compassionate ministry is
love, outreach, and empathy. A compassionate ministry does feel deep sympathy and sorrow for others stricken by
misfortune. A compassionate ministry is full of tenacious and courageous people
willing to be an architect of hope to the hopeless. A compassionate person
wants to be someone’s cheerleader, guardian, and comforter. They love to have
fun and long to distract the hurting, if only for a little while, to show them
a good time. They want to show everyone the love of Jesus. They are welcoming
and understanding.
And a compassionate ministry definitely loves Jesus.
