Back To Home

WHISPERS TO AND FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT

Increase My Compassion

Lord, I need your grace
to increase my compassion
toward your people.
So often I see and feel
the pain of those
who are hungry,
those who are fearful,
those who feel hopeless,
those who are incarcerated,
those who are old, sick, and lonely.
Lord, I see their pain and feel it.
What I am asking dear Lord
is to help me see your face
in everyone who is in need.
the hands the beggars extends are yours,
the tears the elderly cry are yours,
the pains of the hungry are yours,
the stares of the dying are yours
the hopes of prisoners are yours.
Please give me the grace
to see you in all who need help.

Dr. Don’s Reflections

Compassion was never my strong point; however, as I grew closer to Christ it grew. It grew not because of me but because of Christ in me. I began to notice how so many things in the world that were bad and sad moved me sometimes to tears. I would watch the nightly news and be so saddened by the awful things that were being reported.

In my ministry with the elderly and the incarcerated, I would be torn by what I saw and heard from these people sometimes wondering could this actually be true. I realize the compassion I felt was not mine for as I mentioned, I do not consider myself a compassionate person.  Then if not me, who?  I realize the answer to that question was Jesus Christ. I thought, oh this is what is meant by dying to self and allowing Jesus to live within me.

The longer I walk with Christ the more experiences he gives me. He shows me the only way to follow Christ is to be like him and the only way to be like him is to be less of me.  It makes sense, doesn’t it?  If I wanted to be like Superman, I would dress like him with a cape and all. I would comb my hear like him and I would talk and act like him. Well if I did all that it stands to reason I would be less of myself and more of Superman. And so it is with Christ, the more I love like him, forgive like him, judge not like him, sacrifice like him and move closer to be like Christ, the more I will be like Christ and the less I will be like myself. Now understand I am far from being totally like Christ but little by little I am dying off and I know it is the Holy Spirit that is facilitating the “dying of self”.

I cannot be strong in my walk with Christ because I am me, not at all. I only can be strong in Christ because I am like he, Jesus Christ.  The total purpose of loving, following, and serving Christ is to become like Christ, himself. Any compassion I show comes from Christ. In fact, all good in me to whatever extent it exists comes from Christ.

Dr. Don’s Comments

For some of you, I know the thought of dying to self may seem strange.  But stop and think how many times you wanted to be different and act differently. Then think again, if you are not satisfied with who you are and you want to be someone better, who would that be? Another relative, a friend, or maybe a movie star. Well if you’re a Christian and want a strong fulfilled life than you should want to be like Christ. No one else will do.

Most good Christians want to be like Christ but they do not want to give up who they are to become like Christ. That is how it works, however, to become like Christ you much become less of you and more of him. You can only have one goal in following Christ and that is to become like him.

To have the compassion of Christ, the love of Christ, the patience of Christ, the temperance of Christ, the fortitude of Christ, the justice of Christ, the prudence of Christ, the faith and hope of Christ, and yes to suffer like Christ is to become like Christ. You cannot be like you and be like Christ too. You are human, Christ is divine. To become like Christ is to step into divinity.

I know for many Christians this seems so overwhelming. You are not going to achieve being like Christ yourself, no way. Take it from me, I tried. The only way you can continually move toward becoming like Christ is to submit yourself to Christ and let him do it.  Yes, if you profess you want to be like him, God will give you strength and grace to do so through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Many “Sunday Only” Christians feel that they are adequately answering the call to follow Christ but that just is not so.  To follow Christ as you should is to imitate Christ and to imitate Christ is to become like him. Paul the apostle exhorted Christians in 1 Corinthians 11:1

“Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ”

If you are going to try to imitate someone in this life, make sure it is Christ. His love for you, his focused will, and his saving grace will get you there.