Compassionate Action – it Can Change a Life!

Compassionate action is both demanding and essential in the life of the follower of Jesus. It requires determination, empathy, emotions and, for most people, places them well outside their comfort zone.

Western culture grows more critical, confrontational and judgmental every day. It is clear that those suffering and most in need of help are often those most victimized by authorities and private citizens alike. The need to protect those most vulnerable in our community is a need that has been a reality for millennia! The Bible is clear about our responsibility to help those who are disenfranchised.

I once heard someone say: “The best thing I can do for the poor is not become one of them.” This statement which could sound so pragmatic ignores the reality that there are those who really need our help.  

If we are to be effective in showing compassion, we must realize that there is a cost. Sometimes expressions of compassion cost money. Real needs require real solutions! Of course, financial resources are limited so creativity is sometimes required.

It also costs us time and energy. Even if it just to offer encouragement and prayer, this takes time and we know that our time and energy are also limited. The needs are so great and our resources – time, energy and money – limited, which raises perhaps the greatest cost of all: our emotions.

When we invest in someone’s life to address their needs with true compassion it costs us emotionally. We suffer along with that person. We feel their pain, loneliness, suffering and hopelessness! It is easy to drift into a state of compassion fatigue.

Compassionate action requires us to really pay attention to the individual and their circumstances. Here are some of the most important things we can do to show compassion.

Be there

Sometimes the simple act of being present is what is needed most. Being alone while you suffer can be the hardest thing. To have someone to sit with you can bring great comfort and peace. It may seem like you need to say something, but silence can be precious at a time like this!

Listen

We tend to rush in our minds to the answers and advice we want to give. We must remember that we first must listen! That means we pay full attention to the one who needs us in their time of suffering. If we really listen, we can understand so much better what our response should be.

Ask questions

While it may not always be appropriate, after we listen, we might have a question or two. Sometimes it is right to refrain from giving advice or opinions or sharing our own experiences. Compassionate action is not about us it is about the one who is in need! So, asking questions expresses interest in them. They need us to hear what they say, and they don’t necessarily need to hear what we have to say!

Explore solutions

The best approach to finding solutions is to be collaborative. Work with the person suffering. Find out what they believe they need. Carefully and prayerfully offer your perspective. Sometimes the solution is simply time, sometimes it might be a meal or a job possibility. The solutions are as varied as the circumstances. Prayer and encouragement are always appropriate.

Guard yourself

If you don’t take care of yourself, you will be no good to anyone! It is easy to overextend in trying to help people. Escaping from the problems around you is essential. It is important to continually feed your spiritual and mental health as you serve in compassionate ministry. Setting limits on what you can or will do is also important.  

Working within an organization can really help in taking care of yourself. While compassion doesn’t always need to be institutional in nature, if you are part of a church or ministry center, their policy will help set the limits on what is expected of you – particularly, when it comes to financial assistance.

Finally

Be in continual prayer both for the people to whom you extend compassion and for yourself that you will see the needs and understand what God would have you do. This is both the end of this blog post and the start of what we all need to do to be effective in expressing compassion to those in need around us. Whether homeless, hungry, hurting, sick, estranged, lonely, isolated, depressed, lost, in bondage to sin or addictions, mourning or any of numerous other causes of suffering, our compassionate work is directed and empowered by the Spirit of God. So, we pray and allow God to work through us to relieve the suffering around us.