“Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36
“Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2
Dear Jesus,
I demand for people to be empathetic toward me when I am experiencing a tough season, especially when I am fighting an internal battle that causes me to act out character in an unkind, impatient, coldhearted way. Yet, the moment I am called to be empathetic toward another, I recoil.
They don’t deserve it, I think.
I don’t have the emotional capacity to deal with their problem, I complain.
God, grant me desire and ability to love others well, even when they don’t deserve my empathy, even when I am tired and juggling my own crises. Help me live out Your Golden Rule–to treat others with the same empathy I wish to receive. Each time I pause and respond to the needs of another, I pray my heart is encouraged Lord, help me to sense the ways in which you are healing my own soul as I sit with another while they recover from life’s hardships.
Father, I adore You, I worship You, for your empathy, for the way You sit with me in my mess, so why would I not wish to emulate the very God I praise? Give me Your strength to live the life of a true servant, as one who puts the needs of others before self. I ask that You give me the discernment, patience, and words to handle each person’s situation with compassion and care.
No matter how difficult or uncomfortable it may be, I ask that You make me just like You, Lord.
In Your Holy Name, I pray, Amen.
