Genesis 1:26-28, Psalm 139:3-18, Ephesians 4:31, Colossians 3:12-17, Galatians 5:22-24, Zechariah 7:8-14
It is easy to behave like a human. After all, that is what we are. We have flaws and are far from perfect. That is why Jesus needed to die on the cross. He died for our sins, our flaws, everything that makes us unworthy to enter God’s presence.
In this time of Lent, when our focus often turns to preparation for remembering Jesus’ death for us, it is a good time to consider how to follow in His footsteps.
A lot of people focus on abstaining from the things they enjoy, a popular one being chocolate. But God wants us to do much more than that. He wants us to live our lives every day with unconditional compassion. If you read through the first 5 books of the Old Testament you will see time and time again the same admonition to practice social justice. To live with care and compassion for those around you.
This same social justice is what Jesus demonstrated when He walked on the earth.
Yet in our human bodies consumed with greed we forget to live with compassion for others.
It is easy to get caught up in legalism, splitting hairs about the meaning of revelation (will the rapture be pre or post millennium, if there is actually a rapture), about homosexuality, about abortion, about care for others.
During Lent, why not try an experiment. See if you can follow unconditional compassion as Jesus followed it on earth. As God demonstrates it constantly.
Once you get beyond Easter, determine to continue to practice unconditional compassion.
WHAT IS UNCONDITIONAL COMPASSION?
To practice unconditional compassion you first need to hold fast to four principles that are seen throughout the Bible.
PRINCIPLE 1: ALL LIFE IS PRECIOUS
The first is to never forget that ALL life is precious. God loves every one of us. He loves the poor. He loves the addict. He loves the sinner. He loves the prison inmate. He loves children. He loves adults. He creates us in His image, He knitted us together in our mother’s uterus, He knows us and He loves us. Every. One. Of. Us. We don’t get to choose who we consider precious or not. ALL life is precious.
The suggested Bible Verses in Genesis 1 and Psalm 139 are good reminders of this principle.
PRINCIPLE 2: REALITY CHECK. WE ARE BORN AND WE DIE
None of us are immortal. We all will stand before God at some time and answer for what we did and didn’t do in our life. We will one day have a life after death.
This fact should give you a deep respect for ALL life, yours and every other person.
PRINCIPLE 3: EVERY ACTION HAS A CONSEQUENCE
Every thing you do has a consequence. There is no dodging that. You may put pressure on people to back you in trying to avoid owning your actions, but there will still be a consequence. If not in this life, then when you stand before God. Better to face the consequence in this life and ask God for forgiveness.
PRINCIPLE 4: YOU NEED TO BECOME LESS
This one is talked about a lot, and it is a confusing concept to understand.
What God has shown me about this one is that we need to shift our focus from ourselves and look outwards to others. This includes not focusing on how good or bad we are.
Look outwards to others. Focus on your relationship with them. Give acceptance to others. Seek to understand them. Instead of seeking to punish others, seek to understand and choose to forgive.
Be compassionate to others.
All this will take the focus off you and turn it to God. He wants you to spend more time focusing on love for others rather than obsessing about your own perceived sinfulness or greatness.
When you do this your focus naturally turns to God. You don’t have to force it. Your love for God will guide your heart and mind when you surrender focus on self for focus on others.
The Readings from Ephesians 4, Colossians 3, Galatians 5 and Zechariah 7 are good reminders of this principle.
SEEK TO UNDERSTAND NOT JUDGE AND BLAME
Once you have embraced the principles listed above, then you can change your behaviour towards others. One of the biggest issues is judging and blaming others.
We tend to rush to blame others without stopping to consider their life experience.
It is easy to blame others for the bad things that happen in life. But Jesus demonstrated in life that this is not necessary. A classic example of this was when He encountered the blind man and was asked who had sinned: the man or his parents. Jesus’ response was no one. I will leave you to find that reference.
It is easy in life to blame others for the things that happen. It is easier than looking to see how you have contributed to what happened. It is easier to blame someone than accept the fault on your part.
God doesn’t need us to be perfect. He knows we aren’t. If He knows that, then we need to accept that too and acknowledge our contribution to the things that happen. Put aside self righteousness and accept what is. You will find it is a lot less stressful once you start doing that. And your focus will shift from self to God.
BE GRATEFUL
Be grateful for everything.
Be grateful for the wonderful things you receive.
Be grateful for the love in your life
Be grateful for Jesus
Be grateful for Creation
Be grateful for the mistakes you make and what they teach you.
Be grateful when you realise your contribution to the things that go wrong and learn from it.
Be grateful for the insights you gain that allow you to change unhelpful behaviours.
ALLOW JOY
Choose to experience Joy, to see the good in everything. To accept the difficult things that happen that you can then transform into a better way of being.
Accept the difficult emotions too, because they teach you things and are often followed by time of Joy.
LIVE IN THE MOMENT
Stop hankering for the future. Stop ignoring what you have in the here and now. It is now that matters. It is now where you will learn and grow. It is here where you will learn to be less and allow God to be more.
DON’T SPEAK BADLY ABOUT OTHERS
Finding fault in others is not compassionate. It is judgemental. It is also very self-seeking. To put another person down is to put yourself up. It is to focus on yourself rather than on others. It is to dishonour God and the precious lives of others.
MAKE YOUR MOTIVES PURE
When you do something make sure it is not disguised as something for others when it is actually for yourself. Instead seek to benefit others as well.
BENEFITS OF BECOMING LESS
People who have learned to put God, and serving Him, first experience increasing happiness. As they become less and God greater, they feel so much happier.
Be there every day ready to serve God. This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself, it just means you seek God first.
Be curious. Be open and willing to follow where you are led.
When you focus less on you, it is natural to be interested in other people and to seek to learn about them and have compassion for them.
FOLLOWING JESUS IN LENT AND BEYOND
As you move through Lent remember to practice unconditional compassion.
Never forget all life is precious, that we all are born and die. Be mindful that every action has a consequence. Most importantly shift your focus from self to others. Once you do that your focus shifts where God wants it to be. On others.
As your focus shifts, willingly embrace compassion for others. As you seek to understand rather than blame you will find that will become easier to practice.
Be grateful, allow joy, live in the present moment, speak well of others and seek to understand others and what drives their behaviour.
When you do anything make sure you are honest to yourself and others about your motives.
Follow the way of Jesus and seek to make yourself less and He will become greater in your life.
May you learn to shift your focus to God this Lent and ever after.
