Empathy
I wrote the other day about connectedness. Today, I want to touch on empathy. Empathy as defined by Wikipedia as, “the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another’s position.” Plain and simple, it is the ability to relate to what someone is going through, the highs, the lows, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Image courtesy of: andreasnilsson1976
Scripture:
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” – Hebrews 4:15
Observation/Application:
Perhaps you have heard the saying, “Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes”. When we have been through the same situation that someone else is going through, we all know that it is easier to understand and empathize with that person because we have been “in their shoes”. We can better relate to their thoughts and emotions because we have been there.
In the same way, God sent Jesus Christ, His one and only Son, God made flesh, to literally walk in our shoes. In this way, he can understand exactly what we are going through. He understands our pain, our sadness, our joy, our peace, our weaknesses and temptations – the good the bad and the ugly, through the highs and the lows. He was tempted by the devil, and felt the weight of the flesh as much as anyone else when he was crucified on the cross. And Jesus did this willingly for us, so that by His blood our failings, our shortcomings, our sins could be forgiven. Jesus sits at God’s right hand and intercedes for us when we fail in the flesh.
So we don’t have to be perfect. God knows that we are not. And he loves us anyway. He has walked in our shoes, literally, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Do we need a little more empathy in our lives, someone to talk to and who will listen and truly understand? Let me share the good news that is Jesus Christ, who you can always turn to and who truly understands.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for your Word today. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus Christ to walk in our shoes, and feel the weight of the flesh, the temptations, the pain, the struggles that we too face. Let us turn and look to Jesus always Lord, for empathy and when we need to talk to someone who truly understands. Help us to walk blameless and keep us from the attacks of the enemy and from all temptation. Let your love and all of your goodness overflow in us Lord. Let your Word wash us clean from the inside out. We give you all the honor and glory and praise, in Jesus mighty name. Amen.
Photo By andreasnilsson1976
About Author
