Recent findings suggest, that friends have life-sustaining practical benefits. It also appears that adults who socialize often with several good friends live longer than those with few friends who socialize less. A main conclusion of the 'Grant Study' at Harvard, which followed its subjects for 75 years, was that strong relationships are the most important ingredient to well-being over a long life.

We ALL know that friendships are necessary and needed for us to have the best kind of life. So in this series we want to look at some biblical insights & ingredients that help us build and develop healthy friendships.

EMPATHY: the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within that person’s frame of reference. The capacity to place oneself in another’s position. Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, to listen with the ears of another, and feeling with the consciousness of another. (see Wikipedia)

*We sometimes use the phrase: "to walk in someone else’s shoes"
empathy: the ability to feel with people

This idea of empathy is literally all throughout the Scriptures
We see it as part of the heart of God:

Psalm 103:13-14
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

Psalm 56:8
You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.

The heart of our Heavenly Father is empathetic, moved with compassion toward us. God feels with us.

God feels with us. And God expects us to FEEL WITH OTHERS.

Romans 12:15
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn.”

1 Corinthians 12:26
“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”

Galatians 6:2
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Hebrews 13:3
“Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”

Empathy is the relational glue we all need.

Quote: Fredrick Buechner
“Compassion is the sometimes fatal capacity for feeling what’s it like to live inside somebody else’s skin. It is the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you too.”

Empathy is different than sympathy.

Quote: Teresa Wiseman (4 pts)
“Empathy involves: to be able to see world as the other person sees it, to be non-judgmental, to understand another person’s feelings, and to communicate your understanding of that person’s feelings.

Suffering builds our empathy

When we go through suffering, loss, rejection the Scriptures continually declare that we can learn through suffering. God never wastes our pain; he seeks to recycle it to be a blessing and help to others. We are invited to enter into the ‘fellowship of Christ’s sufferings’ – we will grow ourselves in faith most in those struggle seasons if we’ll allow God to help.
(see Romans 5:1-5 and 2 Corinthians 1:3-7)

Empathy is an antidote to judgment

We live in a culture that is quick to judge, don’t we? We are desperately in need of growing more like Jesus, to have empathy with one another.
=What if we asked ourselves at the outset of judgment:
Q) what if people are doing the best they can?
We want people to see us as people who are doing the best we can…
-As followers of Jesus, we need to reflect the empathy to others that we are given by our Savior Jesus. Are you growing in your compassion?
Friend, that just may be the most deliberate measuring stick of how you’re doing at actually growing as a disciple of Jesus.

The beauty of the incarnation is: Jesus took off His heavenly shoes and rented a pair of ours. He came in the flesh – identified and lived, just as we do. The writer of Hebrews says we don’t have one who can not sympathize with us…because he endured what we endure. (Hebrews 4:14-15). He walked in our shoes, to be with us…
=John 1:14 in the Message, says: "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood."

God is a God who feels; He is a God that feels with us – and FRIENDS: may that drive us to feel with others.
Jesus most described emotion in the gospel accounts is: compassion
Friends: may that be said of YOU, may that be said of ME.

NEED PRAYER? ....we've got some of our prayer team and pastors available following service to pray with you. You can also submit your prayer request via our app. We look forward to partnering with you in prayer.

IF YOU'RE NEW: we throw a 10-minute party immediately following the service in the back corner of the room, if you're new, we'd love to meet you and welcome you! We invite you back next weekend as we continue this series on FRIENDING...