This morning as I went out for a morning run and was mulling over Amanda's teaching on compassion from home group last night, numerous thoughts filled my mind. As 'How He Loves' played through my iPod, I began to get a glimpse of the extent of Jesus' compassion and love for each and every person. Jesus doesn't offer His compassion, and then, when it is not received, relinquish His offer. Instead, when we disregard Jesus' compassion, consciously or unconsciously, He searches for another opportunity, another way to share His compassion and get into our hearts. He uses whatever means necessary to make that entrance. Patiently, He waits until we are ready to receive. He does not use force, but approaches us with gentleness and grace. He speaks to us in whatever way that He can and uses those around us as conduits of His compassion. He knows us inside and out. He doesn't have just one method for showing compassion. Each and every one of us responds to different displays of compassion. It is as if He knows our "song", the thing that drives us and moves us to action. So He plays that song so that He may reach us right where we are at. If need be He will sing the first line over and over and over again until we get it. For some of us, that's what it takes for us to come to realize His compassion for us.
With this in mind, I began to search my own heart. So many times, when I extend Jesus' compassion, it goes unnoticed or unheard. In my heart, I begin to develop feelings of frustration and ask, "Why can't they just get it? Don't they see that it's what they need?". After doing the same thing a few times, I often reach a place of hopelessness. I begin to wonder if they'll ever get it. Maybe that's just the "way" they are. If, however, we are called to "Be imitators of Christ, therefore, as dearly loved children" (Ephesians 5:1), then are we not to seek to be like Him in everything we say and do? In this, doesn't that mean that no matter how many times we extend compassion that goes un-received, we are called to continue offering it? Like Amanda said, it's not really OUR compassion we're giving out anyways. It's HIS. Thankfully, the responsibility does not lie with us. It's up to Him.
So what does this mean? Well, I feel like for me it means that I am to try, by whatever means necessary, to communicate the compassionate and loving heart of Jesus Christ. If that means changing from my way of doing things so that I may be in tune with someone else's "song", I will make that sacrifice. If it means doing the same thing over and over again with no results, I will continue to persevere. If I become weary in extending compassion, I have only to ask Jesus for a refilling; perhaps, a reminder too that this is not of my own strength but of His. There is an infinite amount of comfort in that knowledge and in it, we can find rest.
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you." -Ephesians 4:32
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