Q: My question is what is wrong with compassion? I have been told that to feel and show compassion is to enable. I agree in some cases but I am not sure I understand the Bibles meaning of having compassion for one another......
A: There is nothing wrong with compassion. In fact, it is a cornerstone of the Christian faith. Compassion is simply having a heart that puts the needs of others ahead of your own. We don't need to look any further in our search to discover this answer than the ministry of Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of Matthew we read where Jesus went from town to town, teaching in synagogues and healing all those who were sick and suffering with disease. "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36)." Think about how the average person feels, Christian or otherwise, when they encounter someone who is being harassed and is helpless. In most cases, we do whatever is necessary to give those in need a leg up. While we cannot miraculously heal the sick and cure disease like Christ, because we are not God, we can definitely find ways in which to bring peace to someones life. A vast majority of charitable organizations that have been created over the years were founded by Christians, or those heavily influenced by the Christian faith. Organizations like Habitat for Humanity, the International Red Cross and World Vision are just a few of the examples of how the compassion the Lord expressed to the less fortunate has manifested itself.
There are times when compassion, or perceived compassion, can, and does, enable a person to continue down a destructive path. Have you ever been approached by a homeless person asking for money? We all have. Often times it is quite obvious that these individuals have been abusing alcohol or some other substance. Whether we feel sorry for these people, or just desire that they stop bothering us, we may pass them a small some of money. While we may be well meaning in our actions, we most likely have only given that person another opportunity to sink deeper into the depths of the sin they are trapped in. "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves (Romans 12:9-10)." The motivation behind our assisting people, that only serves to enable them, is that we fear being judgmental of them. We often take Matthew 7:1, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged," out of context for fear of being labeled as not having compassion. The judgment we cannot make is of one's heart. We may not know why they do what they do, but we certainly can make a judgement about what they do, if it is sinful or destructive, and show them the way out. It is this fear of being called judgmental that makes much of our charitable acts insincere. The motivation is not so much to help another person, but to avoid being judged for our actions or lack thereof.
However, if you think about what motivates many of us to be compassionate to others, it is because we can empathize with the sufferings of others. The Bible tells us to "live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble (1 Peter 3:8)." When we see someone less fortunate then ourselves we are motivated to help them because we see something in their lives that reminds us of our own. I used to struggle with alcohol dependency. Therefore, when I see someone trapped in the same sin, my heart goes out to them. Since we have something in common I hope that I can use that similarity to bridge a gap with them in order to share Christ. "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently (Galatians 6:2)." When someone is hurting, compassion doesn't enable them to continue in their sin. Compassion goes to them, in love, in an attempt to show them a better way. It is at that time that we can tell a person how Jesus Christ rescued us from the depths of the sin and despair we were in. We are basically sharing with others the love, forgiveness, meaning and purpose we have found in Christ. A Christian is not better than anybody else. But, in Christ, we are better off. Knowing just how much the Lord has done for us, humbles us to the point where we want to spend our lives sharing what we have received with others.
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness (Philippians 2:5-7)." God showed compassion towards us by humbling Himself and becoming one of us, in Christ. Similarly, we humble ourselves when we show compassion to those who are without Christ, trapped in sin or both. We have no reason to be arrogant or boastful about what we have been given through faith in Jesus Christ. "Freely you have received, freely give (Matthew 10:8)." A Christian is a new creation in Christ. This is a gift of God received by accepting Jesus Christ as our savior. Now that we have freely received an eternal inheritance, our mission in life is to lead people to Christ in order that they may receive His offer of everlasting life. One of the blessings of struggles is that they reveal our need for Jesus Christ. And it is those of us who have received the compassion of God that, in turn, share it with those trying to fill the void in their spirits that can only be filled by Jesus Christ. The only way we can discern whether we are being compassionate or being an enabler is by relying on the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide us from within. We have the mind of Christ. And the attitude we should take is that of doing only what we are being led to do by God, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus did nothing unless the Father told Him to do it. We would be wise to do the same. After all, if the "Father of compassion and the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3)" indwells us in the Person of the living Christ, who better to teach us how to be compassionate and when to do it?
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