The principle of compassion is manifest in deep understanding that no matter how bad things are for you, you need to understand that there are people who are going through worse and need your compassion. One of the most difficult places to be in life is the place of selfishness and self absorption. The more we keep our eyes on ourselves and our state, the more oblivious we become to the state of those around us.
Like Joseph, it’s our duty to see the cup as half full never as half empty. To choose the option of gratitude over complains. To no matter how bad things are, be compassionate. To always be on the lookout for who you can be a blessing to.
The prison is hardly the place to be compassionate. My personal little experience behind a police station cell, and my several prison evangelism visits to different prisons are enough lesson for me on the operations of the Prison and prisoners. The people who are there ahead of you are not concerned about you. Prison has the capacity to make you self centered, absorbed with your woes, you are definitely not likely to notice that someone else is sad – after all aren’t they all supposed to be? As a Prisoner himself, Joseph still took notice of other sad prisoners and volunteered to help them. The help that connected him eventually to the palace.
Quit lamenting about your woes, if you take your eyes away from yourself and look around you, you’ll see many people you ought to have compassion on. Meet a need, help someone else closer to their dream. God counts faithfulness in little things, and faithfulness in handling other people’s things. Nothing in life is free, when you are generous and compassionate, it’s like dropping a stone in a river, it sends ripples forward and plenty backwards as well. Every act of kindness you make will come back to you as a reward.
Compassion is a consistent theme in the Bible and was also evident in Moses, David, Jesus and all his disciples, including me 🙂
