Empathy

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 3-4 

  

  Empathy is a powerful human emotion. It marks us as people with the love of God that is both alive and well in our hearts. 

  When you tell someone that you are on your way to the doctor’s office, or to the dentist’s office, you evoke feelings of empathy from others as they have been through what you are about to go through. 

  When someone tells us that they have been diagnosed with cancer, or that a loved one has been diagnosed with the disease, our hearts immediately go out to them with great feelings of empathy. 

  Contrariwise, in times of war, political or social unrest, the tools of hate, bigotry, and prejudice are invoked to destroy any empathy we might feel for another, making both the victim and ourselves somehow less human. 

  You cannot be a Christian serving God without a strong, healthy, and working empathy able to be evoked whenever you see another suffering and in pain. Empathy is rooted in kindness and love. Compassion is its calling card. 

  Whenever someone tries to reduce your capacity for empathy, or make another seem less human because they do not look or act like “us”, we must rid ourselves of those prejudices with a response of empathy. 

  You may not be able to take to the mission field, or even have the strength to travel anywhere preaching the gospel. Yet you will always have the ability and capacity to love and pray for those who are hurting no matter where they are, or where you reside. Empathy should come quickly to your heart whenever you see anyone hurting or in need. In this way we are like Jesus. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, there are so many needs around us that we often feel overwhelmed, yet help us never to lose our capacity for empathy and compassion for others. Amen. 

Heal Thyself

And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. Luke 4:23 (KJV) 

  

  Being honest about our strengths and limitations is not always easy. We want to be optimistic, positive, and hopeful when approaching goals and dreams. Yet if we are unwise we will set ourselves up for disappointment. 

  By honestly taking into consideration our very real limitations we can properly asses our abilities and make plans for challenges we may face in any situation we find ourselves in. 

  Over many years of afflictions, I have come to realize that I can make plans, but those plans can and often do change. By being somewhat philosophical about fickle fate, we are not brought to the ground with discouragement when everything does not go as we wish. 

   

If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans. ---Woody Allen 

  

  I automatically build into my plans the fact that my illnesses may derail my expectations. Circumstances change, and fickle health can change rapidly.  

  We wound ourselves when approaching life with unrealistic expectations. Hope is a wonderful thing, but false hope has defeat written into it. Walking in good mental health involves being honest and making factual mental health and physical health assessments. Know yourself, and be truthful about your weaknesses.

  There are seasons when my health takes a slight uptick in improvement, but more frequently there are downturns in my health situation. I know it is best not to take short seasons of improvement for granted, and not to expect them to last. 

  When the Lord blesses us with improved health we should rejoice, but when things go badly, we should be as mentally and emotionally prepared as possible for such outcomes. In this way we can stay well in soul and spirit despite our physical condition. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, each day brings us blessings and opportunities, and challenges and difficulties. Whatever today brings, make us whole in spirit and soul. Amen. 

The Talking Cure

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 

  

  During and after World War One about eighty thousand British soldiers had battle fatigue, or shell shock. It left them shaking, anxious, fearful and unable to cope with much of anything. “The Talking Cure” was found to help some of the soldiers. It seems that talking about their experiences and fears helped the troubled soldiers recovering from shell shock. 

  Two experiences recently reminded me how much talking things out can help. During a doctor visit I expressed some concerns that had been weighing heavily on my mind. After talking to my doctor, I was surprised at how much relief I felt. Having unburdened myself to the physician a weight was lifted from my mind. 

  My wife had been bottling things up for weeks and finally told me what had been bothering her. The tension, silence, and heaviness in the air suddenly disappeared. My wife felt much better for having shared her burden with me. 

  The Lord knew how much we would need each other and how helpful it would be to lean upon one another. When we share our burdens, the load gets lighter. Talking can indeed be a cure for our worries and fears. 

  The stress and weight of life can crush us down to the ground with cares. First and foremost, we should take our burdens and cares to the Lord. But there are times we need to share concerns with loved ones, with friends and family. And in some instances we need to unburden ourselves to health and medical professionals. 

  Sharing our cares and burdens will lighten our load and enable others to offer their wisdom, concern, and patient ear in our times of need. 

  When you feel life weighing you down your first action should be to bow your head in prayer. Your second action should be to share your burden with someone you trust and that can help in your time of need. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for accepting our cares and burdens and answering our prayers. And thank You for those who help bear our burdens and are there for us when our cares weigh us down. Amen. 

Bring Light

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 

  

  We need beauty and light in our lives. We need music, art, God’s glorious creation. We need to fill our minds with the goodness of God, His love, kindness, mercy and grace. We need light. 

  There is much darkness in this world. The pattern and flow of this world moves in a negative, deadly direction. It takes positive purpose and right thinking to avoid getting caught up in the darkness around us. 

  Thankfully, we serve a positive God who is filled with light that drives away darkness and the shadows around us. With Christ in our hearts we are literally the light of the world. We shine brightest in the darkest places. Light can transform everything around it. We remove barriers and light the way for others to follow after. 

  It takes effort to transform darkness into light. And we need help from above. We need our Lord’s guiding hand and His light igniting us within to shine love and grace upon everyone. We must trade beauty for ugliness, light for shadows as we let our light shine. 

  You may feel you have nothing to offer. Illness and affliction may have you beaten down and feeling hopeless. Yet with Christ in your heart and His grace and strength lifting you up, the darkness around you can be filled with His presence as you allow Him to reveal Himself in your life. 

  We are in a battle with darkness and it is one we cannot win alone. Yet if we fight in the power and strength of our Lord Jesus, we will overcome the dark and bring His light and beauty to this dying world. 

  Do not think you have nothing to offer a dark and dying world. There is life inside of you. Life given by the Holy Spirit of God that created all things and can transform all things. Let Jesus be Jesus in you and light up this dark place. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, sometimes it feels like we are surrounded by darkness. Let Your light shine through our lives and ignite this place with Your beauty and love. Amen. 

What Matters Most In Life

The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: 

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” 

  says the Teacher. 

“Utterly meaningless! 

  Everything is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 1:1-2 

  

  King Solomon was the richest and wisest man in the world. How could such a man be miserable? Yet in the Bible Book of Ecclesiastes he puts forth his gloomy outlook on life. Having examined the use of riches and pleasure, he declared it all vanity. 

  Over many years I have heard numerous people state emphatically how much better their lives would be if they won millions of dollars in the lottery game. How their lives would improve. They would go on to say how many wonderful things they could do if they were only rich. 

  I do not have any desire to win a lottery or become rich. Why? Because I am smart enough to know that with more money comes more problems and rather than making one a paragon of virtue, it most likely would ruin those who were given such wealth. 

  If we cannot be satisfied with what we already have, what the Good Lord has already given to us, having increased wealth would not make things better or make us godlier. 

  Indeed, in one place in the Bible book of Proverbs the wise man says: 

  

Keep falsehood and lies far from me; 

  give me neither poverty nor riches, 

  but give me only my daily bread. 

Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you 

  and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ 

Or I may become poor and steal, 

  and so dishonor the name of my God. Proverbs 30:8-9 

  

  If we can find happiness and joy where we find ourselves in life, then we are truly rich. If we can count our blessings and thank God daily, we are in a place of great wealth of soul and spirit. Desire Jesus, place importance upon Him and your relationship with Him, and you will have all that truly matters in this life. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, make us neither rich nor proud, but humble and wealthy in spiritual things. Fill us with Yourself, guide us by Your love and grace, and we will have everything we need by Your hand and kindness to us. Amen.