Marriage And Disabilityনমুনা

Serving My Spouse in Service to Christ

The dictionary defines compassion as “a feeling of wanting to help someone who is sick, hungry, in trouble, etc.” Christ modeled compassion for us as he healed the sick, prayed for those he met, fed the hungry, and gave the ultimate sacrifice to secure our salvation. In today’s passage, he instructs us to do the same.

As Christians, we may be inspired to serve the helpless or homeless or to respond when a natural disaster strikes. There’s a sense of joy and accomplishment when we go in Jesus’ name to make a difference in the lives of those who are hurting. The tricky part about compassion is when we must extend it to those closest to us on a consistent and ongoing basis. The daily grind of disability can be isolating and can challenge even the strongest marriage. Worries about the costs of medical supplies, new equipment, therapies, and more can create anxiety and add to the physical toll on caregivers.

The Christian’s definition of compassion is very different than the one in the dictionary. Jesus doesn’t call us to be compassionate when we feel like it, but to serve others in service to him. Jesus asks us to dig deep when our backs are aching from wheelchair transfers, when we don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night to administer yet another breathing treatment, when we are too overwhelmed to make one more doctor’s appointment.

Jesus reminds us to look beyond our difficult circumstances to see him. When we imagine the face of our compassionate Savior smiling at us, we find the strength and peace to continue on. This type of service isn’t about accolades or “attaboys,” because very few will see what goes on behind closed doors or what is required of a spouse serving as a caregiver. But Jesus sees. And he assures us that we will receive a just reward when we hear him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).