Compassion Has a Plan

Set priorities. Put first things first. Major on the majorsand dont sweat the small stuff.
Weve all heard the slogans. Experts tell us theyre the key to success. But with so many things
clamoring for our attention, how do we determine what things to put first? How do we decide
what maors to maor on!and what small stuff not to sweat?
"hose may sound like tough #uestions$and for many they are. But as %orn&again children of
'od, we dont have to rush out to %uy a self&help %ook or sign up for a seminar to figure out the
answer. (ll we have to do is open the Bi%le. )t plainly lays out our priorities.
*o. +, Believe on the *ame of -esus.
*o. ., Walk in love.
"hats it. 'ods Word says if well put those two things first in our lives, 'od will do whatever
we ask and the rest of our lives will fall into place. /ersonally, )ve never had a #uestion a%out
the first of those two priorities. )ts always %een o%vious to me that since faith in -esus as 0ord
and 1avior is what gives us eternal life and sets us firmly in the family of 'od, then %elieving on
His *ame is the most vital thing we can ever do.
But honestly, )ve wondered at times a%out that second priority. )ve pu22led over why its such a
maor issue with our heavenly 3ather. Why is it such a %ig deal to Him that we live in His love?
)t is a %ig deal, you know. )n fact, according to the Bi%le love is such a paramount issue in the
mind of 'od, when one of the /harisees asked -esus to name the greatest commandment of all
time, He said, 4"hou shalt love the 0ord thy 'od with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and
with all thy mind. "his is the first and great commandment. (nd the second is like unto it, "hou
shalt love thy neigh%our as thyself. 5n these two commandments hang all the law and the
prophets6 78atthew ..,9:&;<=.
"hink a%out that> (ccording to -esus, the command of love is so vital that the entire Word of
'od$from the ?reation account in 'enesis to the (men at the end of @evelation$hangs on it.
0ove is literally the ultimate spiritual law. (ll the operations of 'ods kingdom function in
accordance with it, and no one on earth is exempt from it.
Created by Love for Love

Why is 'od so divinely determined for us to live a life of love?
@ecently, ) started asking the 0ord that #uestion. When ) did, the Holy 1pirit was #uick to answer
me. He started out %y reminding me that love is the one word that fully encompasses 'ods
nature. "he Bi%le says, 4'od is love6 7) -ohn ;,A=. )t affirms again and again that He is
completely filled with compassion.
)n /salms :A,9A, for instance, the Bi%le says that even when the )sraelites sinned and re%elled
against 'od, 4He, %eing full of compassion, forgave their ini#uity, and destroyed them not, yea,
many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.6 (nd in /salms AB,+C it
says that He is 4a 'od full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy
and truth.6
/salms +++,; says, 4He hath made his wonderful works to %e remem%ered, the 0ord is gracious
and full of compassion.6 (nd in 0amentations 9,.+&.9 we read, 4"his ) recall to my mind,
therefore have ) hope. )t is of the 0ords mercies that we are not consumed, %ecause his
compassions fail not. "hey are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.6
"hose are especially powerful statements when we reali2e compassion means 4to have so much
mercy and tenderness for someone else that it actually causes pain.6 )t is the deepest desire to
show love and goodness. ?ompassion is what moves 'od to do everything He does.
?ompassion is what compelled 'od to create the earth. )ts what inspired Him to prepare the
'arden of Eden as a home for the family He was a%out to create. )t is also what moved 'od to
reproduce Himself and make man in His own image. He didnt ust want someone to love, He
wanted a family through whom His love could %e multiplied$that would %less and fill the earth
with His own compassion. "hats why, immediately after He created (dam and Eve, 4'od
%lessed them, and 'od said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and
su%due it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every
living thing that moveth upon the earth6 7'enesis +,.A=.
'ods plan was not ust for man to %e %lessed, %ut for mankind to %e a %lessing to everyone and
everything he came in contact with. He planned for them to su%due and rule this planet with His
compassion until the whole place %ecame a 'arden of Eden.
"hat was ?ompassions plan.
God Never Changes His Plans
5ne thing )ve discovered a%out 'od, When He makes a plan, He never changes it. "herefore,
though (dam and Eve %owed their knee to the devil, threw away 'ods %lessing, and opened the
door to the curse, 'od refused to give up His original intent. He kept on declaring His will would
eventually %e done. He kept on telling His people they were destined to %e a %lessing and fill the
earth with His love.
He told (%raham, 4) will make of thee a great nation, and ) will %less thee, and make thy name
greatD and thou shalt %e a %lessing!and in thee shall all families of the earth %e %lessed6
7'enesis +.,.&9=.
He spoke through the psalmist and said, 4Blessed is the man that feareth the 0ord, that delighteth
greatly in his commandments. He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous6 7/salms
++.,+, ;=.
He spoke through the prophet )saiah of 5ne to come who would %e anointed with 'ods own
1pirit 4to preach good tidings unto the meekD to %ind up the %rokenhearted, to proclaim li%erty to
the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are %oundD to give unto them %eauty for
ashes, the oil of oy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness6 7)saiah B+,+,
9=.
5f course, every one of those declarations pointed to the coming of -esus. He was ?ompassions
plan$ordained %efore the foundation of the world to come into this painfully messed&up planet
and set things straight again. He was the 5ne destined to take upon Himself the sin, sickness,
weakness and pain that had ro%%ed mankind$and all the earth$of the %lessing of 'od.
-esus came to restore 'ods original plan.
Eo you reali2e what that means? )t means those of us who have %elieved on Him have %een
restored to the spiritual position (dam and Eve occupied in the 'arden of Eden. "hrough -esus,
we have received the same %lessing and divine commission they did. Weve %een called to
perpetuate 'ods love in the earth, to fill it up with His compassion, to %e a %lessing everywhere
we go, to everyone we meet>
"hats 'ods plan for every *ew "estament %eliever.
'od said it to (dam and Eve. He said it to (%raham. He said it to -esus. (nd now He has said it
to us. You are called to be a blessing! So wives, bless our husbands. !usbands, bless our
wives. "ove one another as # have loved ou. $o good to all men. %less, bless, bless>
?an you see now why walking in love is so important to 'od? )ts the reason He created us>
Fou may never have thought a%out it in ust that way %efore %ut, the truth is, you already knew
that. Every %orn&again %eliever does. ) could stop a ?hristian on the street anywhere in the world
and ask him if we, as %elievers, are supposed to love one another, and )d get the right answer
every time. Everyone knows ?hristians are called to live %y the law of love.
(re we all doing it? *o, were not. 1o, clearly there must %e a pro%lem. )) /eter 9,+&. tells us
what it is. "here the (postle /eter wrote to people ust like us$people who knew full well they
were called %y -esus Himself to live %y the law of love$and said, 4"his second epistle, %eloved,
) now write unto youD in %oth which ) stir up your pure minds %y way of remem%rance, that ye
may %e mindful of the words which were spoken %efore %y the holy prophets, and of the
commandment of us the apostles of the 0ord and 1aviour.6
)f ?hristians in /eters day needed to %e reminded to keep the commandment of love, we do too.
-ust like those first&century %elievers, sometimes we ust plain forget to walk in love toward one
another. We forget to make compassion our priority %ecause we dont keep it in the forefront of
our thinking. We get our lives out of line with love %ecause mentally we neglect to put first
things first.
But, according to the Bi%le, we can correct that pro%lem. We can stir up our pure minds %y way
of remem%rance. We can %uild love into our memory so that we think of it %efore we get dressed
in the morning. We can so renew our minds to it that we think of it when we leave the house
every day, or sit down at the ta%le to eat, and even %efore we go to %ed at night.
When we keep love on our minds like that, it changes how we interact with people. *o matter
what they say or do to us, our first thought is to respond in love. )f we disregard that thought %y
yielding to the flesh and acting in a way thats unloving, well immediately %e aware that weve
%een diso%edient, and well repent. "hen well get right %ack on track.
A Marvelous Cycle
45h, you might say, 4) dont think ) could ever %e that loving.6
1ure, you can. Fou can walk in love as naturally as a fish swims or a %ird flies. "he reason is
simple. (s a %orn&again child of 'od, youve %een re&created in the very image of 0ove Himself.
Foure made ust like Him and He is full of compassion .; hours a day, seven days a week. He
is, always and forever, love.
4Feah, %ut sometimes )m ust mean. ) cant help myself> ) guess 'od ust made me that way.6
Eont go around %laming 'od for your carnal self&indulgences. Hes not responsi%le for them. (s
5ral @o%erts, used to say, 4'od never created anyone to %e something He has for%idden.6 1o if
we act hatefully or unkindly its not %ecause 'od made us that wayD its %ecause weve yielded to
the pressure the devil is putting on our flesh. We may have even yielded to it for so long that we
think that ugly stuff is a part of our identity.
But its not. )ts ust flesh and everything in the flesh can %e changed and replaced %y the power
of 'ods Word and %y the power of His love. )t can %e overcome when we stop defining
ourselves %y our carnal ha%its and renew our minds to our true identity in ?hrist.
5ne man who understood that fact very well was the (postle /aul. He knew more a%out who we
are in ?hrist than any man who ever walked this earth with the exception of -esus Himself. He
prayed continually for %elievers to have the spirit of wisdom and revelation %ecause he knew
what would happen when we %egan to see our real identity, Wed start acting like who we truly
are. Wed start acting like -esus.
*o wonder /aul prayed for the %elievers to %e rooted and grounded in love 7Ephesians 9,+;&+G=.
"hats our native soil. We were %orn in and of 0ove> "he more we operate in that love, the %etter
we comprehend 'od %ecause love is what makes 'od tick, so to speak. )ts the driving force of
His %eing. )ts who He is.
"o our natural minds, such a thing may seem impossi%le. But the Bi%le says its not. ) dont care
how far&out it may sound, 'od is a%le to finish the plan He started in the 'arden of Eden. He is
a%le to reproduce Himself so fully in you, me and every other %eliever that we fill the whole
earth with His goodness and love. He is a%le to make us a %lessing to all the families of the earth.
1o release your faith for it. 1tir up your pure mind %y way of remem%rance. Heep love in the
forefront of your mind %y confessing daily, 4) keep the commandment of love. ) love the 0ord
my 'od with all my heart, all my soul and all my strength. ) love my neigh%or as myself. 'ods
love has %een shed a%road in my heart %y the Holy 'host and ) release it everywhere ) go. ) will
%e a %lessing to everyone ) meet today.6
@emind yourself every day that ?ompassion has a plan$and He is fulfilling that plan through
you>