Actions Speak Louder

Author: Pastor Michael Reece

Acts 4:32-35—All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.

I am sure that most of us have had an experience where someone claimed to be your friend, and they were not. Maybe someone told you they would have your back in a situation, and it didn’t turn out how they had promised. If you have had an experience like that, you know how much louder our actions can speak than our words. Just saying something is not the same as actually doing something. While this can be true in many ways, I think it rings true in the area of compassion, as well.

Compassion can be a bit of a tricky word. I say that because, while we discuss the topic of compassion in churches all over the world, we often confuse compassion with empathy. While empathy gives us the ability to identify and be sensitive to the needs of others, compassion is when that awareness is coupled with the motivation to do something about it. Compassion moves us from “Man, I hate that for them” to “I need to serve them in this way.”

This passage of Acts paints a beautiful picture of what compassion looks like. Leading up to this, we see a prayer from a group of believers after Peter and John had been threatened for speaking to others in the name of Jesus. After this prayer, Scripture tells us that these believers were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak boldly about the Lord. In their unity, they cared for each other in a way that can only happen when people are moving in compassion toward one another. I love that we are told that these believers did not view their possessions as their own. As is often the case with genuine compassion, this flies in the face of what most of us are taught by society.

The world tells us to look out for ourselves, accumulate as much wealth and possessions as possible, and let the next man worry about himself. However, compassion often requires us to give something of ourselves to those around us. This passage also tells us that because of the efforts of this group, there were no needy among them. This is because they were there to give to anyone who needed it. So, if you want to grow in your compassion this year, I ask you this: What can you give?

There’s a decently high chance that when I asked that question, you thought I must be another preacher asking for your money. It is entirely possible to find great causes you can give to monetarily. If that is where the Holy Spirit is leading you, that is fine. However, the question is deeper than that. Maybe some people in your life are hurting emotionally, and you can give them an encouraging word and some prayer. Maybe there are people around you who cannot accomplish specific tasks due to physical health, and you can help by giving them your physical labor. Maybe people are battling loneliness around you, and you can help by giving them your time.

In whatever way is possible for you, I pray that compassion is stirred up inside you this year. I pray that you are motivated to give of yourself in order to meet the needs of others. We are a community of believers, and a large part of what makes a community healthy is being able to have compassion for one another. Let us become unified as we see this body of believers in Acts.

Reflection

How would you define compassion in your own words?

In what ways could you be giving to those around you?