Lighting Up Our City: Week 3-Connecting Through Your Story નમૂનો

One of my greatest joys is finding people who “get me.” They understand, sympathize, and connect to my struggles and victories. At these times, I feel like I’ve been holding my breath underwater and am finally able to burst out to take a gulp of clean, life-giving air. “Yes! You understand. I’m not alone in this!”

Christ gets us. He has struggled and been tempted as we are. When we cry out to Him in our pain and failures, He embraces us with compassion. Jesus knows how we feel, why we feel, and what drives us to speak and act the way we do.

One of the best examples of Jesus’ compassion is found in John 11:32-35. Mary’s brother Lazarus, Jesus’ good friend, had died. Mary, in a mix of grief and faith, confronted Jesus and blamed Him for her brother’s death: “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:32).

Rather than try to reason with her or tell Mary that He would bring Lazarus back to life, Jesus looked at all those who were weeping for this man and “was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled” (John 11:33).

Then comes the shortest verse of the Bible: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). Even though Jesus understood the big picture and knew what was going to happen next, He took time to be compassionate, to “weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:15).

As we listen to someone’s story and pray about how to share ours, it’s imperative we not only stay alert for relatable story-sharing opportunities but also take time to fully, compassionately connect to them and their emotions as they describe their experience.

Connecting to the common denominator in a struggle brings us closer together. When someone realizes we understand and sympathize with them, they’re more willing to listen and trust what we say. This provides us with an authentic opening to share how Christ made a difference in our story.

How can you show someone compassion today?