Practical Compassion

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

-- John 13:35

As Christ-followers, we're often reminded about the importance of helping our neighbors and showing compassion to strangers. Jesus taught this principle through The Good Samaritan: one of the most familiar stories of the Bible.

It’s in Luke’s gospel that we read about a traveler who was attacked by robbers and left for dead. A priest saw the wounded man but elected to pass him by. Later, a Levite (a member of one of the tribes of Israel) also saw the man lying on the ground. And he too avoided him. But when a Samaritan — a member of a despised ethnic group — happened to come by, he bandaged up the injured stranger, checked him into a motel and even prepaid the bill!

Two supposedly "good" people had a chance to help the helpless, but they went

out of their way to do nothing. Instead, it was the Samaritan who found God's approval because he had shown practical compassion to his neighbor (a total stranger).

Although that's a lesson we all need to learn and live by, helping neighbors and strangers isn't always easy. We too often let selfishness and pride get in our way. We don't want to get our hands dirty. And then we end up like the supposedly "good" people in Jesus' story. But let's consider the other side of the coin: How are we showing compassion to our fellow Christ-followers — not strangers — but rather other Believers?

The moment we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become a member of an enormous family of faith spanning race, nationality, gender and generation. We may be very different, but it's our faith in Jesus that bridges the gaps. For all of us, Jesus is at the core of our thoughts and motivations. And we all share a common eternal destiny and a loving Father.

This truth sets apart Christ-followers from all others in the world. But since the world is watching us and questioning our motives, it’s crucial that we demonstrate lives of authentic compassion.

How should we do that? It’s by celebrating each other's triumphs, mourning each other's losses and sacrificing our own selfish interests that we exhibit much more than transformed lives and ongoing spiritual growth. Above all, we need to follow Jesus' example: one where the word love is an action-word lived out every day through a changed heart.

Taking One for the Team

Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord.

-- 2 Chronicles 7:4

Taking one for the team means sacrificing for the good of the many.

This phrase comes from baseball, where a weak hitter lets himself be struck by a pitch so the next batter has a chance at the plate. In the business world, a highly paid executive might take one for the team by accepting a salary cut so that his or her employees can receive a pay raise. Another example is someone who volunteers to babysit their neighbor's twin 2-year-olds so the beleaguered parents can enjoy a rare evening out.

Jesus’ crucifixion to pay for the sins of the world is the ultimate illustration of taking one for the team. Since mankind consistently falls short of God’s standards of perfection, he was willing to pay the exorbitant price by taking on the punishment that we all so rightly deserve. The result, which we can read in Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13, is that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

We’re helpless to save ourselves, and even the best of our so-called good works is what the Bible describes as nothing more than “filthy rags.” But there are still times that Christ-followers

are called to sacrifice and take one for the team. Sometimes these situations defy human logic. And it’s only later that we discover the reason behind them. Let's consider the famous Old Testament story about Abraham and Isaac. It’s in Genesis that we read about the origins of the Jewish people through God’s promise of a son to Abraham. “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky,” the Lord said, “and as the sand on the seashore.”

After years of fervent prayer, Abraham's wife Sarah finally became pregnant and gave birth to Isaac, even though the couple was very old. Abraham and Sarah were thrilled and grateful for their long-awaited child. But soon came God's call.

"Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah," he told Abraham. "Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

It was a shocking demand that made no sense. And it also confused Abraham because God would never ask for something so precious. (Or would he?)

Even so, Abraham obeyed God in faith, took Isaac to Moriah and built a sacrificial altar. But then comes the twist to the story. Just as Abraham raised his knife to slay Isaac, one of God's angels called out.

"Don't hurt the boy or harm him in any way!" the angel said. "Now I know that you truly obey God, because you were willing to offer him your only son."

  

Abraham proved his devotion to his Creator, and his descendants indeed spread across the earth. One of them was born to be the Savior of the World — Jesus Christ.

Whether it’s baseball or our faith-journey, taking one for the team can be scary and confusing. We need to remember, however, that the big picture of God's plans and promises always extends beyond our immediate line of sight. Human comprehension is limited. But what we do know is that our Creator always provides a way for us when we’re willing to sacrifice for him.

This Means War

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

– Ephesians 6:12

If you’re into long-distance running, you’re probably familiar with The Wall — that barrier of mental and physical fatigue that successful athletes train for years to overcome. If successful, they’ll reach the finish line with power left to spare. Unprepared competitors will meanwhile drop out of the race in exhaustion and defeat.

As Christ-followers, we face our own barriers as we try to live the ways that God desires. While fighting to keep pace in a figurative marathon, we battle against our natural tendencies to do

what’s wrong (“sin”). We fail to follow Jesus’ example of loving our neighbors, helping the disadvantaged and honoring God. And we’re also tempted to return to the old me-first lifestyle. It’s a real struggle: the selfish stuff we know we shouldn’t do versus the ultimately world-changing things we can and should do. And as with any ongoing struggle, fatigue eventually ensues.

That’s when we need some energy. Something like a shot of espresso or a can or two of Red Bull — but something much more powerful and lasting.

In the Book of Romans, the Apostle Paul wrote that he considered this exhausting struggle to be internal warfare pitting good against evil. And through his own energy and efforts, he knew he would certainly lose the battle. But Paul had a dynamic weapon that assured his ultimate victory. And it’s something that’s available to you and me right now.

It’s called the Holy Spirit, and it’s God’s power residing in every believer. It’s also that personal force that enables us to do or say the things we never could before, overcome seemingly insurmountable odds and generally do the impossible. In fact, the Bible says it’s the same power that raised Jesus from the dead after his crucifixion.

If you’re a Christ-follower, let the Holy Spirit empower you, make the most of your life and take you the entire distance. Be alert to his teachings and leadings, and understand that they can come from just about anywhere. It might be a Bible passage that reveals itself with new meaning. Or maybe it’s a spiritual truth from a discussion at your Gel Group. The Holy Spirit can also speak through a conversation with a friend or stranger, or even out of an odd circumstance in the workplace.

Do you have the power you need to make it across the finish line in this long-distance race called life? It’s closer than you think. And all you have to do is ask. 

Innocent as Charged

I am pure and without sin; I am clean and free from guilt.

-- Job 33:9

Maybe you’ve seen that popular bumper sticker. Its message reads something like this:

Christians aren’t perfect. They’re just forgiven.

OK, it might be trite. But the message is right on target. If you’ve accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you’ve got quite a future ahead of you. That’s because Jesus paid the price on the cross for your sins and mine. And God no longer holds what you did in your past against you.

News doesn’t get much better than that. And with your heart, mind and soul now open to God’s direction for your life, your positive influence in the community — and around the world, for that matter — could be immense. What’s to stop you?

It’s a safe bet that the devil will try. He’s been doing it for centuries. And he continues

to do it today with one of his favorite weapons. It’s a monster called GUILT.

Even though God has wiped the slate clean for all Christ-followers, the devil has a very long memory. He’s like a stern prosecutor who reads a list of your previous faults and failures to the jury. And he loves to remind the Judge (and you) when you’re at your weakest in court.

Is it any wonder that Satan is known as The Accuser?

Unfortunately, the devil’s old trick often succeeds. For example, just think about your own past. How often does it haunt you and block your potential? Do you constantly think about all of the would-have/could-have/should-have situations in your life? Maybe it was an angry word to a family member or friend — one that you never took back? Or what about that missed opportunity to right a wrong or make a positive difference in someone’s life?

It’s true that we can’t turn back the clock and have a do-over for our past failures. But what’s all-important is that God holds none of them against us. In fact, the Bible says that he remembers them no more. Jesus’ death and resurrection cleared the slate and paid the bill.

Don’t be surprised when the devil brings up your past to bring you down. But when he does, just remember that his words are hollow and worthless. Only God’s promises have real value to Christ-followers. So with that in mind, let’s live our lives on the one declares us not guilty. It’s through our faith in Jesus that we’re innocent as charged.

Point of Light

But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us
while we were still sinners.

-- Romans 5:8

It takes just a tiny point of reflected light from a telescope’s mirror to change our notions about the universe. But when there are barriers — such as the atmosphere in the case of astronomy — we can miss the big picture or be misled by a distorted image. 

This principle also applies to our spiritual lives. “I am the light of the world,” Jesus proclaimed in John 8:12. “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." 

As Christ-followers, our lives are to always reflect Jesus’ love in action. But we too face barriers and distortions. The world teaches us to beat the competition, climb the corporate ladder and keep up with our neighbors (and then leave them in our dust). We need the biggest, the fastest and the shiniest. And most of all, it’s not bragging if we can back it all up.

But Christ has a different viewpoint: To be first, we must be last.

This bold perspective sheds a new light on things. And that’s just the point. How much better would this world be if his people were to adopt a servant’s attitude and put the interests of others before their own?

Jesus answered this question through his own example. First, he willingly surrendered the advantages he had as God’s only Son. He entered the world through the most humble of circumstances — a birth among farm animals in a filthy stable. When he grew older, he learned to make a common-man’s living as a carpenter. Of course, Jesus could have lived in splendor as the King of Kings. But instead, he chose a nomadic existence for teaching the Good News of salvation to his people.

That’s quite a life lesson. And it was one taught by the One with a humble servant’s heart. He’s the same One who came to serve rather than be served. And he’s the only One whose sacrifice for our sakes is counted worthy.

How can we mirror Christ’s life through our own lives? It all starts by accepting him as our personal Lord and Savior. And as Jesus told the respected religious leader one night many centuries ago, we must be born again.

The fact is that we are nothing without Jesus and can do even less by ourselves. But when we fully surrender our lives to God, it’s through this brilliant point of light that we find our life’s purpose.