josh whitehead

Why are we as a church just now re-learning compassion ministry?

It seems like compassion is on every page of the Bible, but somehow we forgot it as a part of our ministry strategy. I was reminded recently from Isaiah 1:

Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 1: 16

It really has been a problem for ME as a church leader. Confession: I have often times allowed my cynicism to cloud my heart of compassion. Instead of meeting the needs that God nudged me to meet, I evaluated the situation from the “Josh” perspective and became very calloused. So, I have asked God to take my heart of stone and make it a heart of flesh again in this area.

Here are some things I recognize about myself:

1. It is easier for me to be compassionate towards children than adults. I’ve always been that way, even before I had kids.
   
2. I often translate compassion to mean “giving money” instead of “giving time.” That is WRONG! I think it is a balance of both as God leads.
   
3. Many church members have more compassion than me. In my opinion, staff members, not church members, should lead the area of compassion and set that tone for the congregation. I’m not there yet, but I am praying that I get there.
   
4. Awareness leads to action. When I allow myself to be blind to needs, it is easier to lack compassion and do nothing. But, the more I know about the needs around me, the more I desire to help.
   
5. It’s fun to have compassion. Helping people is why I love ministry, and that is all that compassion ministry is – helping people.
   

What about you? Do you need to grow in compassion? Where do you struggle?