Day 3 – Core Value: Serving Compassionately
January 9, 2024
By Bishop Aner Morejon, Southeast Conference
Scripture meditation: Matthew 15:32
I had the privilege of being born into a Christian home. My father, a pastor, often said, “Never preach Christ to someone if they’re hungry; first give them food, and then you can share the love of God.”
Throughout Jesus’ ministry, he spoke the word compassion on various occasions. Compassion is part of the character of the Son of God and should also be an essential characteristic of his disciples. Compassion is not only expressed by feeding the hungry but also by visiting the sick, the widow, the prisoner, and, above all, by sharing the message of salvation with that wonderful ingredient of kindness.
During my time in the ministry, a wonderful woman (my wife) has accompanied me. She is a true example of what it means to serve with compassion. She has always been attentive to the needs of the church members and pastors to whom we minister. The greatness of her service lies in the fact that she never seeks recognition, expressing that she does it for her Lord. This too should be something that makes us stand out from the rest of the world. We desire to serve as unto the Lord and not for mere human recognition.
It is not a secret that humanity is living without compassion towards others. What’s sadder is that many who claim to be disciples of Jesus lack this characteristic of compassion in their lives. At the end of his earthly ministry, the Master spoke of the day we will stand before him, where we will have to give an account of our compassionate service. All who know his words in Matthew 25:31-46 understand that his final judgment is: “Whatever you did (or did not do) for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
In contrast, a silent enemy we must face is thinking that we’ve already served enough. Hence, the Lord warns us, “When you have done everything you were told to do, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'” (Luke 17:10) If we think we’ve done well, let’s strive to do better.
Let’s reflect on this principle at the beginning of this year, recognizing it as an opportunity from God to examine our compassionate service.
Prayer
Father, I ask for forgiveness if you have seen a lack of compassion in my service to you. Help me rise today, and, with the assistance of your Holy Spirit, infuse everything I do with the ingredient of compassion. Amen.