by Kala Loptien

Strengthening Compassion

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Colossians 3: 12-13 ESV

There are seasons of our lives that we all probably wish we could redo. Wouldn’t that be nice? Push rewind. Hit refresh. Delete. We might have endured some self-imposed trials–the consequences of our decisions…mistakes…sin. Maybe we wandered from the flock for a time. Perhaps we experienced trauma or dealt with an intense circumstance that left us bitter and angry. From there, we became isolated. That would be the enemy’s cue. Just when we sidestep away from walking with our Lord, we compromise our heart and take a serious fall. But God is merciful. He seeks out His lost sheep. Do we deserve to be brought back into the fold so graciously? No. Do we have to earn our way or prove we belong. No… not exactly.

What is expected of us? First and foremost, we are to love God above all else. Second, we are called to care for one another. God uses the aftermath of difficult seasons and struggles to produce compassionate hearts. We are awakened by the realization that we are loved, treasured, forgiven and redeemed. We are urged to forgive each other because — wait for it — the Lord has forgiven us. There it is. Do we withhold forgiveness of others? Hold grudges for years? Keep score? Want revenge? Where does that come from? It isn’t God. We know how he responds. He sent His son to show us what it looks like to have compassion for the lost and broken. Reflecting upon our own story provides the perfect opportunity to strengthen empathy and compassion for others. We know what it feels like to be lost. We know what it feels like to be found. I pray that God would help us see others the way He sees them.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado