Saturday, November 19, 2011

Suffering Produces Compassion

The Lord uses the circumstances in our lives to shape and mould us. The Bible tells us that Jesus is a man of sorrow; a man acquainted with suffering and pain. As Christians, we take after the footsteps of our master. We go through uexplainable pain, deep anguish, and unutterable suffering in different intensity at different times. Some women lose their husbands very early in their marriage and they are left to care for their young children on their own, others have to cope with their young children dying from diseases. Cancer strikes a family and bring tremendous pain and anguish to the sufferers and their loved ones. Sometimes, our loved ones die tragically in freak accidents. The list is endless and torturous.
The Lord knows our pain, suffering and helplessness.  He went through far worst circumstances than any of us.  He was beaten, betrayed, ridiculed, isolated and abandoned. He lived through us to show us what He is able to accomplish when we allow Him to work through us. He uses our experiences; they are never wasted. When we come through the fire, He opened our eyes to see His greatness and goodness. He caused our hearts to understand His purposes through it all. He produces compassion in us.
We feel what the sufferers feel, we identify with one with depression if God has seen us through depression. Some of us can identity with the excruciating pain that a cancer stricken person goes through because we have personally experienced it. His compassion overflows from our lives to touch people who are desperately in need of His love, comfort and assurance. We become His extension. We become a channel that His love can flow. His compassion compels us to take yet another step in availing ourselves to reach out to people in dire needs, people who are ever ready to throw in the towel.  Nevertheless, we have the answer and we will rise up to heed the call of God with no reservation.  He first loved us with an everlasting love.

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