Two-minute read.
Becoming a new creation in Christ gives us a new wardrobe, tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Only with the Savior can we don the outfit. Ridding ourselves of our old nature, we cloak ourselves in the virtues of Jesus. Allowing the Holy Spirit to prompt us from within our souls helps us outwardly show the acts of compassion Christ wants us to demonstrate towards others. True empathy comes from the heart and creates a connection with others that encourages and uplifts their downtrodden soul.
Over Thanksgiving, I had a painful ear infection. The first night, when the pain felt the worst, I cried out to God for mercy. As I lay praying in the dark, He reminded me of a friend in a painful struggle, and I turned my prayers towards her, knowing my temporary discomfort didn’t compare to her chronic condition. A few days later, when I shared my experience with her mother, it touched her heart. Unbeknownst to me, her daughter had excruciating pain over the holiday, far worse than mine, and no one knew it. But God did, and He placed her on my heart to pray for her. True empathy came from the Savior in that situation, because I didn’t even know she needed the prayer.
Everyone we meet has a struggle they don’t share with the world. No matter how perfect their lives may appear from the outside, they have challenges. Sometimes, the people who work the hardest to look the best have the most struggles. People get good at covering up their pain, but if we ask God to help us see them through His eyes, He will show us the hurting areas. We can lead with grace and mercy, treating others with kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience when we allow the Lord to order our steps.
Studying Jesus’s life in the Bible gives us the perfect example for how we should treat others. God’s Son treated everyone with love and respect, never thinking Himself better than others. Jesus connected with people through the heart. In the story of the adulterous woman found in John, chapter eight, Christ demonstrated all the characteristics He wants us to share. The Lord neither condemned the woman nor her accusers, but in His infinite wisdom, reminded everyone that we all sin. Before we cast the stone at another, we should look in the mirror at ourselves first.
Journal Questions:
How has Christ helped you let go of your old ways?
In what ways can you clothe yourself in Jesus?
How does treating others with grace and mercy help the relationship?
Friendship Application:
Clothe yourself with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience towards all you meet.
