Find Your Compassion

We often talk about the need to find your passion.  Find what you are passionate about and pour yourself into that.  We talk about how someone speaks with passion.  We describe an athlete as playing with passion.  

However, if we want to be more like Jesus, we need to focus more on finding our compassion.  When you search the word passion in the Bible all the uses of the word have a negative connotation to them.  For example, many of the verses refer to the passions of the flesh.  When you search compassion, most of the results have to do with Jesus.   Matthew 13:14 says, "When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick".

Passion comes from the Latin word "pati" which means "to suffer".  Passion is a strong almost uncontrollable desire or emotion.  To suffer from strong desire if you will.  Compassion on the other hand means to join in someone else's suffering.  Over and over again we see Jesus going out of his way to show compassion to people.  He noticed the suffering of people and was moved to action.  Mark 6:34 says " When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things."  Jesus did not just notice the hurting, the lost, and outcast.  He moved towards them.  He met the need.  Jesus did not just feel sorry for them. He sat with them.  He wept with them.  He gave them hope.

When we see suffering around us we should have the same reaction.  We should be moved to compassion.  We should take action.  We should join the suffering so they know they are not alone. In doing so you will find your purpose and joy.