Kingdom Faithful Resolutions for 2026Sample

I will be Compassionate

Compassion was the driving force of Jesus’ life and ministry, and should be of ours too. If you have never resolved to be compassionate in a practical way to those in your sphere of influence, then I invite you to make this a resolution for this year. Compassion is more than just a feeling, it is the way God expresses Himself through us.

Jesus' ministry was characterised by a passionate attention to those who suffer. Broadly speaking, these were the poor and the sinners. The poor were either born into poverty or had become poor through misfortune. They had no way out of their poverty and were not part of an acceptable society because they were unclean and generally uneducated. They were at the mercy of others.

Remember now that in Jesus' day, it was believed that people were poor because God had rejected them, and people were wealthy because God had approved of them. A religious leader who blessed the poor with special attention was therefore viewed suspiciously because it seemed that he was going against God's judgment. Remarkably, Jesus became an outcast himself! Associating with the unclean made you unclean; associating with the outcasts made you an outcast. Jesus, therefore, became an outcast by choice!

Why would he do such a remarkable thing? The answer is one word: compassion!

When we use the word compassion, we must understand it as Jesus lived it. Jesus was personally and deeply moved to act in a loving way toward those who suffered. There was nothing mechanical, functional, or legalistic about his loving deeds (i.e., he was not doing it because it was a commandment). His loving deeds were a direct result of his heart genuinely going out to those who suffer. Jesus was deeply moved to act.

Question for Reflection: Which suffering person/ group does Jesus want you to love in a personal way? What are you going to do about this? It would be ideal at this point to make your intentions clear to God. Invite God to hold you accountable to these over the coming weeks.

Prayer Suggestion: Ask God to reveal someone to you who needs your compassion. Pray for that person now.