Have Empathy for those in Need
How can we show empathy for someone in need? Every week we hear heartbreaking stories of people that are going through a terrible hardship. Some might be family, friends or maybe a stranger that we hear of their situation. Are we sensitive to their situation or is it easy to be callous? Is it too easy to say I am sorry, but not my problem?
God makes it possible for us to empathize with others who might be enduring hardships. We don’t necessarily have to be going through the same hardship in order to show empathy. Here are at least three ways we can show loving empathy. There are many more besides these three.
1. You can be a friend to encourage the person going through the hardship. This can happen in many ways. Make a meal, words of encouragement, let the Spirit lead you.
2. You can give direct help to the person in need. It might be picking up some groceries or assisting with physical help. Once again let the Spirit guide you.
3. You can show empathy through prayer. This can always be done by believers.
Out of these three, you might not be able to do all three. There is one of them that we can always do and that is prayer. As believers we can lift a person’s needs up to the Lord in prayer. This is a way we can help carry their burden. Notice, God gave us this ability to show empathy to anyone and it doesn’t mean only if they are a member of our denomination. Jesus died on the cross for all who believed.
2 Corinthians 1:4
4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
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