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God’s Compassion = Our Endurance

Read: “..the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy” (James 5:7-11).

Think: Each Bible class begins with a time of prayer. The students from Burma, Nepal and Laos ask for prayer for a relative they have not heard from, the church whose seminary is closed, the village whose streets are full of threatening government forces. As refugees, suffering and endurance are part of their story as well, and yet their hearts remain open to God and others. They are able to see God’s compassion despite their suffering. 

We have all experienced hardships in 2020, a year that tested our resolve, our grace for others, our patience, and our commitment to love. Our endurance has been tested, but endurance is just what we are called to have. We are called to be patient, when our patience is at its lowest. We are called to be kind, when every day brings irritation. Endure suffering, be patient, don’t grumble – okay, a little help here! James concludes this exhortation with the promise of compassion, “the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy”. God’s compassion strengthens our hearts just when we feel that we have had enough already. It tunes our heart to the frequency of God’s love so that God’s tenderness and mercy toward us begins to flow outward toward others in patience and graciousness. Our capacity to receive God’s compassion is only expanded by our effort to show it to others. We can learn much from our refugee brothers and sisters about endurance and compassion.

Apply: How does the compassion of Jesus strengthen your endurance and patience even in hardship? Find ways to remind yourself that God sees you with eyes of tenderness and mercy. Practice viewing others with those same eyes.

Prayer: Lord, you are full of tenderness and mercy. In my struggles, strengthen my heart with your comfort and love. Help me to pass on your kindness to others as well. In your name, Amen

(Audrey Kanagy is a pastor at Ridgeview Mennonite Church  along with her husband, Robert. They are the parents of three boys. She also has a degree in Elementary Education and a background in camping ministry both in Pennsylvania and Mississippi.)