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Luke 15:20
So he got up and went to his father. But while
he was still a long way off, his father saw him
and was filled with compassion for him; he ran
to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed
him.
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August 16
Gift of Compassion
If you look for the word
compassion used in the Bible, it is almost
exclusively used in reference to God. Even
the story of the prodigal son is a picture of
God the Father waiting for His wayward children
to come to Him.
The gift of compassion is
also the gift of mercy. The Newsboys sung
about this a number of years ago in a way that
describes it best. This is a slight
paraphrase: "When we get what we don't deserve,
that's a real good thing. When we don't get
what we deserve, that's a real good thing."
Compassion is recognizing
what someone deserves and showing them love
anyway. The prodigal son knew he didn't
deserve his father's love anymore, having spent
his inheritance but was welcomed back with open
arms anyway.
People with the gift of
compassion or mercy may find themselves working
in prison ministries or providing care for those
who are suffering or may be even on their
deathbed. It takes a special person to
minister to these people and not turn away from
their needs. Those people have the gift of
compassion. |
