What Is My Purpose? Learning to Love God and Love OthersSample
Compassion
Focus
The transformational love of God calls us into a life of love — one that is primarily marked by compassion. Before you move on to the rest of this devotional, spend some time visualizing what it looks like to live compassionately.
Listen
Henri Nouwen — Compassion
"Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears.
Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.”
Apply
By Jesus' standard, our purpose is not achieved by how much money we can make, the materials we possess, excellence among our peers, or career achievements. It is the measure of compassion that flows from us and extends to others, regardless of the individual, situation, or circumstance.
What would your life look like if this kind of compassion radically defined it?
What would be the same as it is now? What would be different?
Respond
As you contemplate the Christian calling and purpose of compassion, pray this prayer:
Lord God, thank you for the compassion, grace, and mercy you have shown me. Fill me with your Spirit: your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Amen.
Scripture
About this Plan
Explore your purpose as a follower of Jesus: to love God and love others. Over seven days, we will unpack the themes of personal worship, transformation, compassion, service, and justice. Each session starts with a prayer to help you focus on the day’s theme, a passage or two from scripture, a thought from a theological perspective, and ways to apply and respond to the reading.
More
We would like to thank TENx10 for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://www.tenx10.org/