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Dale Rockwell

Category Archives: Compassion

Hearts Before Hands

24 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by dalerockwell in Compassion, Help, Need

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Compassion, Love, Opportunity

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Photo taken by my son, Matthew Rockwell, after the Nepal earthquake.  His compassion has moved him to form Nepal Grassroots Recovery.  Check it out on Facebook.

You have a tender heart. You see a need and take action.  You have compassion.

You have a closed heart. You see a need BUT take no action.  You lack compassion.

Why do you lack compassion?

  1. You don’t have enough time.
  2. You don’t have enough resources.
  3. You don’t know where or how to begin.
  4. You don’t want someone to take advantage of you.
  5. You don’t want to enable bad choices.

Are these valid reasons or mere excuses?

  1. The Good Samaritan stopped what he was doing and made time to help.
  2. The Good Samaritan used the resources he had available at the time.
  3. The Good Samaritan took the first step, and then another and then another.
  4. The Good Samaritan gave without thought of repayment.
  5. The Good Samaritan gave without thought of worthiness.

Compassion is first a matter of the heart.  Is your heart tender or hard?  When you see a need, do you desire to help?

You cannot meet every need you see.  If you think you can, you are not really seeing the people around you.  You have limited amounts of time, energy and resources at your disposal.  But that is not an excuse to do nothing.

Instead of thinking about what you don’t have, think about what you do have.  Are you generous with your time?  Are you generous with your resources?  or do you spend all your time and resources on yourself and your family?  If you’re not generous with what you do have, you’ll never be generous with what you hope to have.

An open heart leads to open hands.

It is never convenient to serve others.  It always takes time and resources.

So as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Colossians 3:12

Compassion is a Choice

22 Tuesday Mar 2016

Posted by dalerockwell in Choice, Compassion, Love

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Choice, Compassion, Love

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A life of compassion begins with seeing.  But seeing isn’t compassion.

Seeing forces choice.

  • See and be moved vs. see and be unmoved.

Jesus saw the distressed people and was moved to provide.  Matthew 9:36

  • See and open your heart vs. see and close your heart.

The Good Samaritan saw the half dead man and went to him.  In sharp contrast, the priest and the Levite also saw the half dead man but they chose to pass by on the other side. Luke 10:32-34

  • See and run toward vs. see and run from.

 The father of the prodigal son saw him and ran to him.  But the brother of the prodigal son was not willing to go to the house and join the celebration.  Luke 15:25-28 

Once we see, we are forced to choose.  We can open our hearts or we can close our hearts. But choose, we will.  Choose wisely today.  Ignoring what we see is a choice in and of itself.

 

 

I Desire Compassion

19 Saturday Mar 2016

Posted by dalerockwell in Compassion, Opportunity

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Compassion, Opportunity

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I was recently asked to speak at Good News Bible Church about compassion.  As I contemplated what to say, I realized my concept of compassion was a little fuzzy.

Compassion feels like a warm fuzzy kind of word.  But what does the Bible teach about compassion?  Is it a feeling?  Is it an action?

Compassion matters to Jesus.  He would rather have your compassion than your sacrifice.  Jesus said, “But go and learn what this means:  I desire compassion and not sacrifice,”  Matthew 9:13

Seeing Precedes Compassion

  • Jesus saw

Seeing the people, Jesus felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited, like sheep without a shepherd.  Matthew 9:36

  • The Good Samaritan saw

But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion.  Luke 10:33

  • The father of the Prodigal Son saw

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.  Luke 15:20

The first step toward a life of compassion is seeing.  Are you too busy to see?

Let me encourage you today to see the people who are all around you.  Lift your eyes up and look – really look!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Build Bridges – Not Walls!

02 Tuesday Feb 2016

Posted by dalerockwell in Choice, Compassion, Forgiveness

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Choice, Compassion, Forgiveness

 

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Being a third person in a conversation often provides a unique opportunity for building.  A friend calls to talk because she has been hurt by someone else you both know. How will you respond?  Will you help build a bridge or help construct a wall?

Paul helped build a bridge between Philemon and Onesimus.  Onesimus, a run away slave, had clearly wronged Philemon, his master.  Yet, Paul stepped in to help the two reconcile.

Building a bridge:

  • Reconciliation acknowledges the problem.
  • Reconciliation offers a solution.
  • Reconciliation involves forgiveness.
  • Reconciliation involves being willing to change your mind about someone.
  • Reconciliation is a choice.

Building a wall:

  • Separation replays the problem.
  • Separation offers no solution.
  • Separation refuses to forgive.
  • Separation permanently nails the offense to the other person.
  • Separation is a choice.

God chose reconciliation.  He built a bridge between Himself and you.  That bridge is Christ.

Choose reconciliation.  Bridges will take your further!

Philemon, 2 Corinthians 5:14-21

 

 

 

 

Needs and Deeds!

23 Friday Jan 2015

Posted by dalerockwell in Compassion, Need

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I want to be fruitful today.

It’s easy to over complicate things.  Over complicating things makes us less likely to do them. Much has been taught in the Christian arena about bearing fruit.  But it’s really quite simple. If you want to be fruitful today, keep your eyes and ears open for a pressing need. And then do something to meet that need. Engage in a good deed.

The need may be big.  The need may be small.  The need may be that of a co-worker, a family member, a child, a neighbor, or even a stranger.

The deed may be big.  The deed may be small.  The deed may be for a co-worker, a family member, a child, a neighbor, or even a stranger.

Needs are everywhere.  If we simply take our eyes off ourselves and look at the faces around us, we will see a need.  And therein lies our opportunity! It may be as simple as speaking a good word to an anxious heart.  It may be as messy as stepping into a crisis.  The more pressing the need, the greater the opportunity!

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When you see the opportunity, ENGAGE!

Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful. Titus 3:14

An Empty Hole

09 Friday Jan 2015

Posted by dalerockwell in Compassion, Heart

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Three men on a journey; three men saw him; one man felt compassion.

Compassion moves to meet a need.  The Good Samaritan, moved by compassion, interrupted his own plans to meet the needs of the crumpled up man on the other side of the road.  He gave of his time.  He gave of his money.  He inconvenienced himself.  Luke 10:25-37

Similarly, Jesus, seeing the people, felt compassion for them. He saw their distress and he moved to meet their need.  Paul tells us to have the same attitude that Jesus had.  He tells us to look out for the interests of others. He tells us to put on a heart of compassion, kindness and humility. Matthew 9:36-38 , Philippians 2:1-4, Colossians 3:12

What keeps us from feeling compassion and looking out for the interests of others? Perhaps our heart, like the Grinch’s heart, is ‘an empty hole’.  We just don’t have any love to give.  Perhaps we are too busy. We don’t want to interrupt our plans.  We don’t have time for the inconvenience. Perhaps we are too arrogant to help.  We don’t want to get involved in that mess.  We don’t want to be associated with that kind of person.

Jesus, full of compassion, humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death on a cross.  He gave His life to meet our need.  He became our Savior.  Philippians 2:8 

If your heart feels empty and cold, take time to meditate on the love and compassion of Christ for you.  Let Him fill your heart with His compassion.  Once your heart is filled with His love, you will be able to share it with others.

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