If your life resembles anything like mine, each day is crammed full of endless things that have to be done. Our lists may not look the same, but nonetheless, it is safe to say we all lead incredibly busy lives! As we go about our day, we brush shoulders with people-people in line at the grocery store, in the waiting room at a doctor’s office, paying for our gasoline at the gas station. We look at people every day, but are we really seeing them? If we would take an honest look inside, many times we see people as faceless or as obstacles in our path.
Seeing People
But people aren’t faceless. People all around us each have a story. They are hurting. They are broken. They need God. They need the God living inside of us! But how do we get His love inside of us to flood into their broken world? It first starts with realizing we need to see people the way God sees them, and truly SEE them, not just look. Looking involves only a moment in time, but seeing, yes, seeing, requires more from us. Seeing people requires taking in information, empathizing, sympathizing, and having compassion that moves us to action.
Seeing people requires taking in information, empathizing, sympathizing, and having compassion that moves us to action.
If you have ever been like me, you may be so wrapped up in your plans, that you never notice people around you. It is so easy to do, stay focused, go in the store, get what you need, keep your head down, and get out of the store as quickly as you can – never acknowledging that the person in line next to you even exists. But maybe that same person in line is on the brink, needing someone, anyone, to pull them back from the edge. Our lives are never just happenstance. God places us where He does, when He does, for a reason, every day. Maybe people around us need a smile, a kind gesture, a listening ear, or a simple prayer offered. You never know what someone’s story is or what they’re going through. But Jesus does. He knows, and he cares. And He is waiting for someone who knows Him to reach out in love to that person who desperately needs His love through you.
Caring for People
“Well,” you may say, “I don’t know them; why should I care? They mean nothing to me.” In order for us not to see people as faceless, we must realize that every person has inherent value. Jesus died for each and every person on the planet. That makes them valuable! And as His followers, we must place that same value on people. Every person we meet or come in contact with has an eternal destiny of either heaven or hell, and the heart of God beats for every one of them!
Every person we meet or come in contact with has an eternal destiny of either heaven or hell, and the heart of God beats for every one of them!
That in and of itself should move us to compassion-just as Jesus was moved with compassion when he walked this earth. Jesus SAW people, and His seeing involved compassion that moved Him to action. I have heard compassion defined as “your pain in my heart.” I really like that definition! It perfectly portrays what our Lord Jesus must have felt as He ministered to people.
Matthew 14:14 – “And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.” NKJV
Maybe you are a very busy person, with a schedule to keep. But Jesus took time to stop and care. Shouldn’t we do the same?
There is a very real danger to see people as obstacles to our schedule or agenda, or caring what someone will think of us. Have we asked Jesus to be the LORD of our lives, or haven’t we? Either He is our Lord, or He isn’t! If He is our Lord, then He is our Master-the One who is in charge of, yes, even our schedule!
Maybe you’re thinking, “But what if they don’t listen? What if they reject me or laugh at me?” You’re in good company, for that very thing happened to Jesus. He understands how you feel.
Dressing Up With Compassion
So, how do we develop compassion in our hearts and lives?
The Bible says we are to clothe ourselves with compassion.
Colossians 3:12 “…dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline.” MSG
It is not something that we should ever take off, but keep as a constant attitude of the heart.
Ladies, you will never look sharper or be better dressed! And it all starts with seeing people through God’s eyes of compassion!
Maybe, just maybe, God wants to challenge us and change us to begin not to be so preoccupied with our own lives that we never notice the hurting and broken people around us and instead look for ways to reach out to them.
I want to challenge you today, the next time you are out doing errands, or at work, to stop and see people. And then whatever Holy Spirit tells you to do, then do it with all of your heart!
Kim Dillingham
I live to share the love of God with anyone and everyone I meet! I love being a godly wife to my husband, Tom, and homeschooling mom to two of our boys. We have five incredible sons and a lovely daughter-in-law. My husband and I began in ministry over 25 years ago as youth pastors. In 2005, we answered God's call to start and pastor CommonGround Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and have seen God use His church to reach and change many lives. Our purpose at CommonGround and the purpose of my life is to bring people to know the Lord Jesus Christ and help them fulfill their purpose in Him. I graduated from Oral Roberts University in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in music education. I enjoy all types of music, DIY projects, art, writing, and preaching and teaching God's work. Every person who doesn't know Jesus as their Lord is our mission field, and everyone who does, is a missionary.
