Christian Empathy: Unlock The Door To Compassion

Christian Empathy is the key that will unlock the door to kindness and compassion. Don’t miss opportunities to relieve pain in someone’s life.

Our friend, Becky Koehn,
kindly shared this inspirational essay with us.
Becky specializes in kindness: she is an AirBnb hostess with the most-est.

Christian Empathy: Unlock the Door to Compassion

According to the Bureau of Standards in Washington, a dense fog covering seven city blocks to a depth of 100 feet is composed of about 60 billion tiny droplets of water. That fog contains less than one glass of water, yet when those minute particles settle over a city or countryside, they can blot out almost everything from sight.

The California San Joaquin Valley commonly sees a lot of winter fog. The sun can disappear for 5 or 6 weeks at a time. Sometimes drivers roll the window down to see the white line and stay in the proper lane.

Many people live life in a fog. They allow a cup full of trouble to dampen their spirit and cloud their vision. Suffering and hardships often distort the ability to see.

God sometimes uses suffering, hardships or disappointments for spiritual development, and as a way to get the focus back on Him.

We encounter many opportunities in everyday life to see God’s power manifested. But it requires the right responses for this to be accomplished in the right way.

It is like the old wooden barn that leaned to one side for many years, then finally, collapsed. Our relationship with someone in trouble can be like this old barn. If the roof and sides had been repaired when problems came up, it would probably still be standing and useful.

So this brings us to how God’s servants can show empathy and respond in the right way to those who need encouragement.

What is Christian empathy?

APATHY is being indifferent. It is the total lack of interest, emotion or concern for another.

SYMPATHY is pity or compassion for someone’s suffering or trouble, and to commiserate with them so they know that we are sorry for their loss or hardship.

Webster says EMPATHY is the projection of one’s self into another in order to understand them better. It is the ability to share in another’s emotion or feelings.

Google says EMPATHY is the ability to share the feelings of another. It is the capacity to feel or understand what another person is experiencing, and to place one’s self in their position.

Unlock kindness and compassion…

Empathy is caring enough to share another’s feelings or emotions. It takes courage to be vulnerable enough to accept those feelings and emotions as our own. It must be with complete willingness to share the joys or suffering, and be sensitive when reaching into someone else’s lives and touch where it hurts.

Most touch lamps have three levels of brightness. The first touch turns the lamp on, but the light is dim. Then when touched again, the lamp responds with a greater degree of brightness. Touched the third time it gets still brighter. It doesn’t take a hard strike, but just a soft touch. I believe that is how empathy could work, and God’s light could once again shine brightly in a sad or discouraged heart.

To empathize, we need to be a follower, not a leader. We need to slow down, give space, and just listen. We don’t need to give answers, just be present. Empathy is not about sharing yourself. It is not inserting your own thoughts or advice. It does not necessarily mean agreement. It’s totally about the other person, and just being present. Provide a listening ear. Being assured that someone truly cares is the true encouragement. If we are too busy to listen to someone’s struggle, it’s time to slow down. Repeat what they are saying with statements such as, “What I’m understanding you to say is such and such. Is that right?” They will know someone is feeling their heart.

I’ll keep you in my prayers.

How often have you heard someone say that?

I wonder if they really pray, or are they only kind words?

How often do we say “I’ll pray for you” when someone encounters tragic events or unfortunate circumstances?

Do we keep our promise, or do we say those words to offer hope and encouragement without any actual commitment?

What would it be like to rather say, “Can we pray together?”

We are our brother’s keeper. We are called to guard and protect each other.

Romans 15:1

When God blesses us, He intends that we benefit personally. Then as we properly utilize these blessings we in turn should bless others. We will have a heart of mercy, kindness, longsuffering and gentleness. Is there any room then for criticism and judgment? Criticizing people is destructive and unfair. It isn’t easy to see why someone limps until you try on his shoe and feel the same pinch. Although there may seem to be a justifiable reason to be critical, it never helps correct the situation. Surely things will seem different if we place ourselves in the other person’s place.

Ephesians 4:29

Don’t be stingy with your compassion

A young boy begged his father to spend some time with him. The father replied that he simply couldn’t because he must work to pay his bills. So, the boy asked his father how much he earned per hour. “Twenty dollars,” the father replied. The next day, the boy counted his money. He didn’t have enough, so he borrowed some from his mother. That evening the boy went to his father and gave him $20.00. “Son? What is this for?” the father asked. The boy smiled and said, “for an hour of your time.”

A little bit of our time.

A listening ear.

A little love and understanding.

This is EMPATHY.

God gives each of us a little work to do, and as Christians with love in our hearts, we should be able to show empathy to those who need it.

It is probably the most effective encouragement we can give.

Did this inspire you?