Keep Your Heart of Compassion Open

When my dad and I were traveling overseas to a Third World coun­try, our
plane stopped to refuel on a small island out in the middle of nowhere. We
had an hour layover, so we all got off the plane to stretch. The airport
was nothing more than a makeshift building with a thatched roof and a few
benches and a snack bar. I went over to get something to eat, and when I
came back, I saw my dad talking to a bedraggled-looking guy who looked to
be about my age.

I had noticed the fellow when I got off the plane. Actually, it was
difficult not to notice him. He was lying on the floor outside the
build­ing, and it seemed obvious that he had been there for quite some
time.
He and Daddy talked that whole hour while the plane was being serviced.
When it came time for us to leave, I watched my dad pull out his wallet and
give the young man some money. When we got back on the plane, I asked,
“Daddy, what was that all about? What was that young man doing here? What’s
his story?”
He said, “Joel, he was headed back home to the States, but he ran out of
money. He’s been here for a couple of weeks, all alone, stranded. So I gave
him enough money to get home.”
Daddy’s eyes welled with tears as he said, “When I got off the plane and
saw him lying there on the ground, I had so much compassion for him. I just
wanted to pick him up and hug him. I wanted to love and comfort him, and
tell him that he was going to make it.” He said, “All I could think about,
Joel, was, What if that was one of my sons? What if that was you? What if
that was Paul? What if that was one of my daughters? How I would want
somebody to help one of my children!”
Daddy was sowing seeds of compassion and love. He was making a difference
in the world. There’s no telling what kind of impact he made on that young
man life. Who knows? Maybe that fellow had never before experienced the
love of God and the goodness of God. But he’ll never forget that moment.
He’ll never forget the time some stranger, just passing through on a plane,
willingly gave him help in a hopeless situation. Perhaps, at his lowest
moment, he’ll remember that somebody cared for him, somebody was concerned,
so surely there must be a God who loves him.
Seeds of God’s goodness and compassion were planted in that young man’s
heart, and he’ll never be the same. But notice, it all started out of a
heart filled with compassion, when Daddy took time to listen to the young
man’s story.

The Ability to Empathize

One definition of compassion is simply “feeling what other people feel,
being concerned, showing that you care.” In other words, when you see
somebody in need, you feel their pain. You take time to com­fort them. When
somebody is discouraged, you feel that discourage­ment. You take it to
heart and you do your best to cheer them up. If you see somebody struggling
financially, you don’t just pat them on the back and give them a quick
Scripture verse. No, you take time for them, and you do what you can to
help. You have a genuine concern. You show them that you really care.
Everywhere you go these days people are hurting. People are dis­couraged;
many have broken dreams. They’ve made mistakes, and now their lives are in
a mess. They need to feel God’s compassion and His unconditional love. They
don’t need somebody to judge and criticize them, or to tell them what
they’re doing wrong. (In most cases, they already know that!) They need
somebody to bring hope, somebody to bring healing, somebody to show God’s
mercy. Really, they’re looking for a friend, somebody who will be there to
encourage them, who will take the time to listen to their story and
genuinely care.
This world is desperate to experience the love and compassion of our God.
More than any other human attribute, I believe our world is crying out for
people with compassion, people who love uncondition­ally, people who will
take some time to help their fellow sojourners on this planet.
We’re all so busy. We have our own priorities and important plans and
agendas. Often, our attitude is: I don’t want to be inconvenienced. Don’t
bother me with your problems. I’ve got enough problems of my own. But the
Scripture says, “If anyone sees his brother in need yet closes his heart of
compassion, how can the love of God be in him?” Interesting, isn’t it?
God’s Word implies that we each have a heart of compassion, but the
question is whether it is opened or closed.
Furthermore, the Bible says, “We are to continually walk in love being
guided by love and following love.” When God puts love and compassion in
your heart toward someone, He’s offering you an opportunity to make a
difference in that person’s life. You must learn to follow that love. Don’t
ignore it. Act on it. Somebody needs what you have.
Certainly, when God created us, He put His supernatural love in all of our
hearts. He’s placed in you the potential to have a kind, caring, gentle,
loving spirit. You have the ability to empathize, to feel what other people
are feeling. Because you were created in the image of God, you have the
moral capacity to experience God’s compassion in your heart. But too often,
because of our own selfishness, we choose to close our hearts to
compassion.
How can you tell if your heart is open or closed? Easy. Are you con­cerned
about other people, or are you concerned about only yourself? Do you take
time to make a difference, to encourage others, to lift their spirits, to
make people feel better about themselves? Do you follow the flow of love
that God puts in your heart toward somebody in need? Or are you too busy
with your own plans?
If you want to live your best life now, you must make sure that you keep
your heart of compassion open. We need to be on the lookout for people we
can bless. We need to be willing to be interrupted and in­convenienced
every once in a while if it means we can help to meet somebody else’s need.
If you study the life of Jesus, you will discover that He always took time
for people. He was never too busy with His own agenda, with His own plans.
He wasn’t so caught up in Himself that He was unwilling to stop and help a
person in need. He could have easily said, “Listen, I’m busy. I have a
schedule to keep. I’m on My way to the next city, and I’ve already been
delayed.” But no, Jesus had compassion on people. He was concerned about
what they were going through, and He will­ingly took the time to help. He
freely gave of His life. I believe He de­mands nothing less from those who
claim to be His followers today.
Many people are unhappy and are not experiencing life to its fullest
because they’ve closed their hearts to compassion. They are motivated by
only what they want and what they think they need. They rarely do anything
for anybody else unless they have an ulterior goal in mind. They are
self-involved and self-centered.
But if you want to experience God’s abundant life, you must get your focus
off yourself and start taking time to help other people. You must exhibit
and express God’s love and goodness wherever you go. You must be a person
of compassion.
“But Joel, I’ve got so many problems,” I hear you saying. “If I spend all
my time helping other people, how am I ever going to get my prob­lems
solved and my needs met? When am I ever going to get my life straightened
out?”
Take my word for this: If you will focus on meeting other people’s needs,
God will always make sure your needs are supplied. God will take care of
your problems for you.

Take the Time to Listen

Interestingly, Jesus was very patient with people. He took the time to
listen to their stories. He wasn’t in a big hurry. He didn’t try to see how
quickly He could get rid of a person so He could move on to somebody more
important or do what He wanted to do. Instead, He pa­tiently took the time
to listen to each person’s struggles. And He did what was necessary to meet
their needs.
Sometimes if we would just take the time to listen to people, we could help
initiate a healing process in their lives. So many people today have hurt
and pain bottled up inside them. They have nobody they can talk to; they
don’t really trust anybody anymore. If you can open your heart of
compassion and be that person’s friend without judging or condemning—and
simply have an ear to listen, you may help lift that heavy burden. You
don’t have to know all the answers. You just need to care.
More than our advice, more than our instruction, people need our listening
ears. Many people simply need somebody they can talk to, somebody with whom
they can be honest. They just need a friend they can count on. You will be
amazed at what a positive impact you can have in the world if you will just
learn to be a good listener.
The other day a man came up to me and began telling me about his problem—in
great detail. The person went on and on. About four or five times, I tried
my best to jump in, to interrupt his monologue long enough to give him my
expert advice, but I couldn’t get an opening. I thought, I have a wonderful
piece of advice. I’ve got a great Scripture for you. I know exactly what
you need to do. I tried and tried, but I just could not get a word in
edgewise. I kept listening and listening, looking all the while for my
opportunity, but it never came. Finally, the fellow finished telling me all
about his struggle, and just as I was about to give him my great wisdom, he
let out a big sigh, and said, “Boy, I feel so much better. God just spoke
to me and told me what to do.” Then he turned around and walked away! I was
so disappointed I al­most ran after him.
Then I realized that he didn’t need my profound wisdom; he didn’t need my
solution to his problem. He didn’t need my advice; he just needed my ears
to listen.
We need to learn to be better listeners. God can speak to people and tell
them what to do while they’re speaking to you about their strug­gle. Don’t
always be so quick to give your opinion. Be sensitive to what the real need
is in the person you hope to help. Too frequently, what we really want to
do is just shut them down, give them a quick word of en­couragement, a
semi-appropriate Scripture verse, and a fifteen-second prayer; then we can
go on and do what we want to do. But God wants us to take time for people,
to hear with our hearts, to show them we’re concerned, to show them we
really care.

Reaching Out

I used to feel compassion for people all the time, but I didn’t know what
it was. I thought I was just feeling sorry for them. But one day I realized
that was God speaking to me, wanting me to pour out His love and show His
mercy to people in need. Throughout life, God will lead us to people in
need. If you are sensitive to it, you will discern His su­pernatural love
welling up inside you, directing you toward a person or situation that God
wants to help through you. But you must recognize what is happening and
then follow that love. A lot of times we make God’s leading too
complicated. We all want God to speak to us, to lead us, to tell us where
to go and to whom we should extend kindness, love, mercy, or some physical
aid. We think we’ll feel goose bumps or hear thunder in the heavens. But
friend, when you feel love, you are feeling God. That’s God talking to you.
When you feel compassion to­ward someone, that’s God’s way of telling you
to be a blessing to that person. Go encourage them. See how you can make
his or her life better.
You may be in a crowded restaurant when, suddenly, you feel a tremendous
concern and compassion for somebody sitting across the room. You sense a
heavy burden for them, and you have a desire to help them. You may not even
know that person, but you want his or her life to be better. That may well
be God talking to you, prompting you to be a blessing to that person. Why
not buy their dinner? Slip them a note and tell them that you’re praying
for them. Stop by their table to extend a word of encouragement. Do
something to express the love that God is prompting within you.
Certainly, you must be discerning. Make sure that it is God prompt­ing you
and not some other motive. But more often than not, when you reach out with
concern and compassion, your overture will not be squelched or rejected.
“Come on, Joel, those people in that restaurant are doing fine. They’re
over there laughing and having a good time. They look as though they don’t
have a problem in the world. They don’t need my money. They’re going to
think I’m crazy if I pay for their dinner or tell them I’m praying for
them.”
Perhaps, but probably not. God would not give you such a strong level of
compassion for them if they didn’t need what you have to give. They may be
smiling on the outside, but you don’t know what they’re going through on
the inside. Only God can see a person’s heart. And God knows when people
are hurting. He knows the people who are lonely. He knows the people who
are about to make a wrong decision. And if you’ll dare to step out in faith
and reach out to them in love, let­ting them know you’re concerned, you
could be the one who helps turn a life around or keeps a person’s life on
the right course. You never know what one word of encouragement might do.
You don’t know the impact just one simple act of kindness might have.
A few years back, I woke up one morning and I had a real strong concern and
compassion for an old friend of mine. I hadn’t seen him in years, and
hadn’t talked to him for at least fifteen years, but he was one of my best
friends growing up. We played a lot of sports and spent a lot of time
together. All day long, I kept thinking about him, for no apparent reason.
I was just hoping that he was doing okay.
It finally dawned on me that maybe God was speaking to me, and I needed to
take action. I decided to give my old buddy a call to say hello and see how
he was doing. I had no idea how to get in touch with him. But I finally
tracked him down and called him.
My friend answered the phone, and I said, “Hey, man, this is Joel Osteen.
I’ve been thinking about you all day long. How have you been doing?”
The phone went completely silent. Not a word. I thought, This is very odd.
I didn’t know what was going on, but I stayed on the line. After about
fifteen or twenty seconds, I noticed that my buddy was all broken up on the
other end of the line. I could tell that he was weep­ing. This fellow was
one of the toughest athletes around as we were growing up. I had never seen
him shed a tear. But he was now. When he finally composed himself, he said,
“Joel, my wife just recently left me. And I’ve been so depressed and
discouraged.” He said, “I’m not a religious person, but I prayed, ‘God, if
You’re still out there, if You really love me, if You’re concerned at all,
just give me some kind of sign.’ And then the phone rang, and it was you.”
God knows what He’s doing. He knows who’s hurting. He knows who’s at the
end of their rope. If you will follow that flow of love and compassion
wherever it leads, you may be the answer to a desperate, lonely person’s
prayer. You may not fully realize the impact one brief phone call can have.
You may not realize the significance of what it means to a hurting, lonely
person to hear the words “I’ve been think­ing about you. I’ve been
concerned about you. I love you. I believe in you. I want to be praying for
you. I’m going to stand with you.” You may have forgotten how powerful and
life-changing those simple words of hope can be. Let love lead you through
life. Don’t ever ignore that feeling of compassion inside you. Learn to
follow the flow of God’s divine love. He will direct your paths and show
you where and how to express it.
Sometimes, you may have to risk appearing silly or super-spiritual, or
downright foolish, but it would be better to err on the side of being too
compassionate than to miss a person for whom you may be the last hope.
About fifteen years ago, during a service at Lakewood Church, my mother was
at the podium sharing a Scripture and welcoming vis­itors as usual.
Suddenly, Mother put her head down, and for no apparent reason, she began
to weep. Sitting in the audience, my family and I wondered what was going
on. Mother stood there silently for thirty or forty-five more seconds.
Finally, she lifted her head and said, “Don’t do it. Don’t do it. Somebody
here is about to do something you shouldn’t do. Please, don’t do it!”
It was a moving time in our service. The entire congregation spent a few
minutes praying. About that time, we noticed a beautiful young lady walking
from the very back of the auditorium. She was crying as she approached the
front of the building. After talking with her, we discovered that she had
been extremely depressed because she was pregnant and not married. Her mind
was filled with torment to the de­gree that she felt her life just wasn’t
worth living. She had already writ­ten her suicide note and left it at
home. But something told her to go to church one more time. She had not
intended to change her mind, but Mother’s words, “Don’t do it. Don’t do
it,” supernaturally pierced her heart. All at once, she realized God loved
her. God was concerned about her. God had a future for her. That one moment
saved her life and totally turned her life around.
How we need to learn to follow the flow of God’s compassion! Had Mother
thought, Oh, that’s silly. People will think I’m being overly dramatic or
foolish, a young woman and her baby may not be alive today
God may be prompting you about somebody to whom you need to reach out. If
somebody’s name keeps coming up in your mind, and you feel compassion
toward them, do something about it. Don’t put it off; make a phone call;
stop by to visit that person, or make contact in an­other appropriate
manner.
“I’ll pray for them privately.” you may say “Isn’t that good enough?” It
might be, if that is what God is directing you to do. But often, God wants
you to do more than pray for them. He wants you to contact that person to
whom He wants to express love and compassion. Per­haps He wants you to go
see them face-to-face, to look them in the eye and tell them that God loves
them and you love them. He may instruct you to put your arms around that
“untouchable” person and let them feel your concern. If he or she is too
far away, God may direct you to pick up the phone and let them hear your
voice expressing His love for that person. Don’t rule out a road trip, but
if God leads you to travel to a distant location to express His love and
compassion, He will pro­vide specific, unequivocal directions.
You may be feeling a special love toward your parents. Perhaps you’ve been
saying, “As soon as I get time, I’m going to visit them. As soon as I get
through this busy season at work, as soon as my kids get a break from
school, then I’m going to go.” Don’t put it off. We have to understand,
when God’s compassion rises up in us and we feel a special love toward
someone, it is there for a specific reason. God didn’t stimulate compassion
within you for that person just because He was bored and didn’t have
anything else to do. No, God put that concern in your heart and mind on
purpose. Now you need to respond to it. Recognize that although your
understanding may be limited, God can see the future. He can see the big
picture for our lives. We must learn to quickly follow that flow of
compassion.

An Irreplaceable Moment

Early one morning a few years ago, I got a phone call from my dad. At that
time, Daddy had been on kidney dialysis for about two months. He said,
“Joel, I didn’t sleep too much last night, and I really need to get up to
the clinic to take dialysis. Can you come and take me?”
I said, “Sure, Daddy. I’ll be right there.” I looked at my watch and was
surprised that it was around four o’clock in the morning. I quickly dressed
and drove toward Mother and Daddy’s home. As I was driving, I felt
tremendous love and concern for my dad. Not a normal affection; it was a
supernatural love. I began to think about how good Daddy had been to me,
how proud I was to have him as my father, and how well he had always
treated our family; I just had this extreme desire to express my love to my
dad. He knew I loved him, but this was some­thing different.
So early that morning, on the way to the clinic, I made sure my dad knew
how much I loved him. I told him, “Daddy, I’m going to do every­thing I can
to make your life better, to make your life more comfortable, to make you
more proud of me.”
Normally; when I took Daddy to dialysis, after he got all hooked up and the
procedure was under way, there wasn’t much else to do, so I would leave and
then return to pick him up later. The dialysis pro­cedure usually took four
or five hours, so I would go to work, run errands, or simply go back home
till Daddy was done. But this day, something down inside told me to stay
with Daddy; I just pulled up a chair and decided I would visit with him and
just be there for him.
I hadn’t planned on taking Daddy to dialysis, so I had a lot of things
scheduled for that day. But I just knew God wanted me to be there with my
dad. Daddy eventually fell asleep, so I ran out and got us some breakfast
and brought it back to the clinic. Daddy and I had a good time eating
breakfast together and visiting. Finally, he finished the dialysis and I
took him home.
As I was about to walk out the door of my parents’ kitchen, Daddy called me
back and gave me a great big hug. It wasn’t his usual sort of hug. He hung
on to me. He said, “Joel, you’re the best son a father could ever hope to
have.” It was a real special moment between us. I felt that we really
connected somehow I felt that I had accomplished my goal of letting my dad
know how much I loved him.
I left that morning feeling so good, knowing that Daddy knew I loved him,
knowing that he was proud of me, and knowing that I had followed that flow
of compassion toward him.
And that was the last time I ever saw my dad alive.
That was the last time I ever got to hug him, the last time I ever got to
tell him I loved him. Later that same day, Daddy had a heart attack and
unexpectedly went to be with the Lord.
Despite my grief and tears, I later thought, God, how good You are to me.
Here that whole time I thought I was following the flow of love for my
dad’s sake, just for his benefit. But now I realize You put that love in my
heart just as much for my own sake. How rewarded I feel today, knowing that
on the last day of my dad’s life, I was able to ex­press my love to him.
How fulfilled I feel, knowing that I have no regrets. There’s nothing more
I would have said, nothing 1 would have done differently. I’m at perfect
peace.
But what if I would have been too busy that day? What if I had not followed
that flow of compassion God put in my heart? What if I had not been
sensitive to that love and followed after it and expressed my feelings to
my dad? I would have missed out on something precious, an irreplaceable
moment in history—Daddy’s and my own.
Most of the time, when we reach out to other people, when we fol­low that
flow of love, we think we’re doing it for their sakes, for their benefit.
But I can tell you firsthand, sometimes God puts that com­passion in our
hearts as much for our benefit as for others’.
Keep your heart of compassion open. Learn to be quick to follow that flow
of love God puts in your heart. Be sensitive and obedient to do what God
wants you to do. You won’t be sorry—not now, or a million years from now!