Compassion

I have recently noticed that many people seem to waltz through life with relatively little concern for the cares of others. It is so easy to get caught up in our own troubles and ignore everyone else's. As students, we are often found to be the most guilty. Our lives are so much about ourselves right now as we pursue our education for our futures that we fail to look at the world around us and realize just how much need is out there. Perhaps a reason is that we are so inundated with news of need that we have become numb to the reality. However, I suspect that is a more lenient explanation than we deserve. The more accurate (and harsh) explanation is probably that we have just stopped caring enough to look beyond ourselves. 

The first step towards changing our self-focused lives is to exhibit compassion. Compassion is "a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering." When we display compassion, we genuinely feel what the other person is going through, and it can go so far as to literally suffer with the person. As Rachel Joy Scott once said, "Compassion is the greatest form of love humans have to offer."

Yet compassion is pretty worthless if we stop there. We have to act. We cannot simply feel compassionate toward someone's situation, but we must do something about it. Feeling sorry for the poor, starving children around the world will do absolutely nothing to alleviate their suffering. So get involved. You have way more time on your hands than you think you have. God blesses those who help others. Can you trust Him enough to give up a day or a few dollars, knowing that He will eventually return your generosity in full, often in ways you would not have expected? 

So how can you make compassion a lifestyle behavior? A few things to think about: first, compassionate service makes no distinctions between the large and the small. Volunteer any and all time you have. Give what you are able to. Every little bit truly does help. Secondly, compassionate service is free from the need to calculate the results. Forget what is in it for you. Do it all for the other person. Thirdly, compassionate service creates community, both with those you serve and with those who serve alongside you. Some of the closest bonds are formed when you volunteer, and you never know who you will meet. Finally, be compassionate even if you do not feel like it. There will be days when you honestly cannot stand the idea of thinking about someone else. Those are the days when you should especially look for ways to serve. Your day will become so much brighter as a result.

Service is a choice, a commitment. It is never easy, it takes a lot of time and resources, but it is always worth it. I have never looked back and wished I had not volunteered. Instead, I have looked back and wished I could have done more. It might be difficult, but serving others is always the right choice. When somebody I helped looks me in the eye with a huge smile on their face and says, “Thank you,” I cannot help but smile back. It is a great feeling—the knowledge that I am doing what is right—that makes me continue to volunteer with my whole heart involved. I know that for my present and my future, I will live to make a positive difference. I hope you will, too.