Archive for the ‘Compassion’ Category
July 10th, 2010
“I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.” Phil 4:10 (NIV)
God chooses to use people to help us. The Christian life is not a solo flight. God saved us to live in union with Christ and in community with other believers. We need each other. We do better together. As a result of being adopted into God’s family, we are to communicate and collaborate as fellow followers of Christ. In Christ, we are family!
Paul was imprisoned in Rome when he wrote this personal letter to the church at Philippi. He had a deep abiding love for them and wanted to encourage them in their faith. Paul identified their willingness to put their compassion into action. They sent their gifts to Paul via Epaphroditus (Php. 4:18). Paul acknowledged their gift as a fragrant offering pleasing to God.
Spend a moment thanking God in prayer for the people He has placed in your life over the years to be a blessing to you. Think about the individuals God used to encourage you on your faith journey. You may even want to write a letter or type an email to someone God has used to elevate your faith. People matter to God and He delights in bringing people into our lives to bring us closer to Christ.
Are you available for God’s use? Would you be willing to be used of God to encourage someone today? Would you be willing to be used of God to model Christ before a watching world? Remember that God blesses you so that you can be a blessing to others. Who will benefit from your life today?
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
July 9th, 2010
“But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’” Luke 10:33-35 (NIV)
Has your day ever been interrupted by an unfortunate event? How did you respond? The Good Samaritan responded to the tragedy by getting involved in the resolution. He demonstrated compassion in action by seeking to meet the needs of the one who had been violated and wounded. While others kept their distance and walked on by, the Good Samaritan walked directly to the man in desperate need to extend a helping hand.
Life is full of opportunities to ignore or meet needs. You can easily become apathetic and slip into a numb state of existence whereby the needs of others no longer tug at your heart strings. What if God wants you to get involved? What if God wants to use you to make an eternal difference in the life of someone in need? How will you respond?
- “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.” Mark 6:34 (NIV)
Jesus is our model of compassion. Choose to be like Jesus!
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
July 8th, 2010
“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matt 6:14-15 (NIV)
Would it not be hypocritical to receive God’s forgiveness personally and then refuse to extend God’s forgiveness to others? We do not earn God’s forgiveness by forgiving others, but we demonstrate God’s forgiveness as we forgive others. We are to forgive others instantly as a result of our being recipients of God’s instant forgiveness.
Forgiving those who have hurt you does not validate their behavior, but rather honors God by mirroring His forgiveness towards you. The grace and mercy that God lavishes on you becomes a blessing that flows through you to those who have wounded you. By extending forgiveness, you are allowing the life of Christ to be evident in you and through you.
Forgiveness is immediate; trust takes time. Just because you forgive someone does not mean that it is safe to trust that person. God is not asking you to extend forgiveness and then embrace a posture of vulnerability and susceptibility. You are to walk wisely. It takes time and multiple opportunities for a person to demonstrate trustworthiness. Just as you would not dare cross a bridge that is not deemed trustworthy, you would not trust an individual who has failed to be trustworthy.
Extend forgiveness immediately and then pray for the person you have forgiven. Ask God to transform the one you have forgiven and to help that person become worthy of your trust. It is possible that you may never trust that person again. However, extending forgiveness is not optional in God’s economy.
In my daily quiet time, I came across this question by Henry Blackaby that God is using in my life, “Would you want God to forgive you in the same way you are presently forgiving others?”
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
July 6th, 2010
“When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.” Luke 19:5-6 (NIV)
You have a choice. You can be a thermostat and set the environment or you can be a thermometer and reflect the environment. Jesus chose to be a thermostat. Jesus leveraged His influence to transform Zacchaeus and his family. Jesus was intentional about bringing life-change to this chief tax collector and his family.
The people criticized Jesus for His actions. We are introduced to this concept of muttering and grumbling in the Old Testament as the children of Israel grumbled against God, Moses, and Aaron (Ex. 16:6-8). Jesus was willing to be misunderstood and criticized in order to bring eternal life to Zacchaeus and his family. Jesus was willing to endure opposition to present this family with the opportunity to be transformed by His love.
Will you influence your environment or be influenced by your environment? Will you become like those around you or will they become like you? It depends upon your decision to be a thermostat or a thermometer. God has placed you here to be salt and light to influence this decaying and dark world with the purity and the light of His love (Mt. 5:13-16). God has planted you right where you are so that you can bloom for His glory and bring others into the kingdom of light.
Are you willing to be criticized for loving the unlovable? Are you willing to be misunderstood for extending grace to the despised and forgotten? You have the gift of eternal life and the power of the Holy Spirit operative within you. Be a thermostat for the glory of God!
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
July 4th, 2010
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Eph 4:32 (NIV)
After speaking to a men’s gathering on the subject of father wounds, a man in his mid-thirties came up to me to say that he was going immediately to his dad’s house to forgive him. His dad had been pretty tough on him over his lifetime. The son felt that he could never please his dad. It was never enough! His dad always expected more and demanded more and refused to express affirmation. Bitterness had saturated the son’s heart and on this day, he was under deep conviction by the Holy Spirit that it was time to forgive his dad.
Forgiveness brings freedom. When you choose to forgive those who have wounded you or neglected you, there is a tremendous release of tension followed by a refreshing wave of satisfaction. Showing kindness and compassion through forgiving others brings honor to God and relief to your soul. Harboring unforgiveness is like trying to push a parked car up a steep hill. Unforgiveness will shackle your capacity to experience love and will imprison your joy.
God is not asking you to do anything He has not already done for you in Christ. God took the initiative to sacrifice His only Son to pay the penalty of your sin. God chose to forgive you in spite of your rebellion, in spite of your past, and in spite of your proclivity to drift into sin.
Forgive others just as God has forgiven you. Dispense to others the mercy and grace you have freely received from God. Jesus bore your sin on the cross so that you could be forgiven and so that you could have the capacity to forgive others.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
May 5th, 2010
“No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Josh 1:5 (NIV)
God’s presence brings comfort.
You will never go through anything that Jesus hasn’t already endured on your behalf. Jesus knows grief, suffering, rejection, humiliation, betrayal, loneliness, and death on a first name basis. Yet, Jesus reigns in victory. If you will allow Jesus to reign in your life, you will reign in victory.
- “To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy–to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” Jude 1:24-25 (NIV)
Joshua, Paul, and Jude can testify with clarity and confidence that God’s presence sustains you while you live the life God has given on this earth. While you wait for your glorified body and your glorious reunion with Jesus and your loved ones in heaven, God’s abiding presence enables you to endure the hard seasons of life.
What’s troubling you today? Is there anything causing you to lose sleep or to agonize in the sea of worry? Has fear darkened your vision or diffused your passion? Surrender every fiber of your being to the Lord right now in prayer. Invite God to make His presence known in your life.
I enjoy quoting aloud each day the following excerpt from Beth Moore’s book, Believing God:
- God is who He says He is
- God can do what He says He can do
- I am who God says I am
- I can do all things through Christ
- God’s Word is alive and active in me…I’m believing, I’m believing, I’m believing God!
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
April 30th, 2010
“When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.” Jonah 3:10 (NIV)
God blesses your obedience. God gave Jonah a second chance. In response, Jonah obeyed God and went to the great city of Nineveh and preached against it. God honored the preaching of His Word. The Ninevites believed God and declared a fast. The King repented and issued a proclamation. This domino effect took place because God was willing to give Jonah a second chance and Jonah was willing to obey God.
God not only blessed Jonah’s obedience, but He also rewarded the people’s repentance. God witnessed their change of direction and unleashed His compassion. “The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion” (Psalm 116:5 NIV). God responded to the response of the people. Notice how God withheld His wrath. What a tremendous demonstration of God’s compassion!
Trace your past for a few moments. Contemplate the pivotal moments in your life when God unleashed His compassion. Where would you be today had God not lavished you with His grace, mercy, and compassion? Think about the opportunities that God has provided you with over your lifetime in light of His compassion.
God’s forgiveness enables you to join Him in His redemptive activity. Once you have personally experienced God’s compassion, you will be able to extend compassion to others at a deeper level. “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven–for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little” (Luke 7:47 NIV). Your capacity to love others and to be compassionate towards others will be proportionate to the compassion you have received from God.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
March 20th, 2010
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” James 2:12-13 (NIV)
Grace is getting what we do not deserve. We do not deserve God’s love. We do not deserve God’s gift of eternal life. We do not deserve our new identity in Christ. We do not deserve having our names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Yet, God graced us with these and many other spiritual realities.
Mercy is not getting what we deserve. Because of our sin, we deserve separation, punishment, and alienation. Because of our sin, we deserve eternal damnation. Because of our sin, we deserve total isolation from God’s abiding Presence. Yet, God extends His mercy to us and did not give us what we deserved. Instead, God has blessed us, redeemed us, included us, sealed us, and lavished us with His love.
Because of God’s mercy, we have a song to sing and a message to declare. As recipients of God’s mercy, we have been given a clean canvas upon which we join God in His redemptive activity.
May God’s merciful treatment of us radically transform our conversation and our conduct! May our words and our walk exhibit mercy to others as God has exhibited to us!
- “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 (NIV)
Viewing others from God’s perspective will produce the fragrance of mercy in our lives. May that aroma bring others closer to the love of God that we have found in Christ!
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
March 19th, 2010
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” James 2:12-13 (NIV)
Imagine being transferred instantly before the throne of God. You are standing before God right now and you fall on your face before God and He asks you to give an account for your treatment of others. Where would that place you in the area of God’s approval and affirmation? How would you measure up to God’s standard of perfection?
God is a God of justice. And yes, God is a God of mercy. Without God’s justice, mercy would not exist. Without God’s mercy, justice would not exist. God declared His justice on your sin when Jesus took upon God’s wrath for your sin on the cross. God demonstrated His mercy by providing for the forgiveness of your sin. How will you treat others in light of what God has done for you?
- “‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.’” Matt 5:7 (NIV)
- “‘Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.’” Matt 7:1-2 (NIV)
Our tendency is to use binoculars when judging our lives and using a microscope when judging the lives of others. Thank God for His mercy. God wants our conversation and our conduct to reflect the mercy we have received from Him. God is not asking us to do anything in our relationship with others that He has not already done for us.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
January 30th, 2010
“During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.” Ex 2:23-25 (NIV)
God is passionate about His creation. His passion is consistently evidenced by His compassion in action. God saw the Israelites in their desperation and seized the opportunity to reveal Himself to them and to respond to their need.
People matter to God. You can trace God’s redemptive activity throughout the entire Bible from cover to cover. He passionately pursues fallen humanity in order to bring reconciliation and restoration. God’s endless love is portrayed intimately in His patience with us and in His passion for us. We matter to Him!
We experience God’s compassion in action through the salvation of our souls. The redemptive act of God in Christ on the cross is the ultimate demonstration of God’s compassion. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NIV). We are the recipients of the bountiful compassion of God.
How will we relay God’s compassion on earth? Now that we have been perpetually and eternally blessed by God’s compassion, what should our response entail? We have received God’s compassion so that we can extend God’s compassion to others. God invites us to participate with Him in His redemptive activity.
Whenever you have difficulty putting compassion into action, consider the depth of compassion God has extended to you. God is not asking you to do anything He has not already done for you.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell