ONE WORD that will CHANGE your life... FOREVER.

[HoT-MetaL]

I never realised how one word could affect my emotions and the way I live my life. Many would assume Love… and whilst this is true, and links in with my word, it is not the same.

As a Language I think that English is very cold, boring, and stale. Greek and Hebrew on the other hand, fascinates me…

The English dictionary defines the word compassion as this: Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it.

This just scratches the surface.

Did you know that in Hebrew there are four words for compassion. In Greek there are five. One of these Hebrew words, and one of these Greek words touch me deeply.

“Racham:
to love, love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate, have tender affection, have compassion
(Qal) to love
(Piel)to have compassion, be compassionate of God, man
(Pual) to be shown compassion, be compassionate”

The greek word, I love this one the most is, Splagchnizomai.

“to be moved as to one's bowels, hence to be moved with compassion, have compassion (for the bowels were thought to be the seat of love and pity)”


To sum up these two words. Compassion is an ACTIVE emotion that literally HURTS you because you want to stop the suffering of somebody you LOVE.

So how has this changed the way I live?

I look at my life and I realise this: Becoming a Christian is NOT just having my name written in heaven. That’s great, don’t get me wrong… but if that was all it was, I would be there right now… I wouldn’t be here, on Earth.

When I look at my best friends, I see family. I see Love, a family love AND a friendship love (Storge and Philia). And for me this means Agape love (A Sacrificial Love). Im here for them. It hurts me to know that they’re going to hell. Its tough, but its the truth. The people I love are going to hell. And it hurts me to see that.
Therefore I must have an Agape love. I must sacrifice what my body wants for their salvation. No longer do I drink to get drunk, because this gives them the impression that Christ is a hypocrite. No longer do I lust at the same woman they lust at, because they know that Christians aren’t supposed to do that. No longer do I swear as if nobody could hear me, because they then believe Christ must have sworn,

At the moment this is a lifestyle that reflects Christ Jesus. But it may come down to John 15:13, actually giving up my life for them.


Does anybody else feel this way?

God Bless, metal.

 

[IKTCA]

Amen.

 

[Blessed-one]

uh, agape.. that's the hardest to do. There's a verse somewhere that says it's easier to love somebody whom you care for then somebody you don't like. (forgot where)

totally agree with you, hotmetal. Great post!

 

[HumbleBee]

Wonderful post hotmetal

Think this is the Bible verse that Blessed-one was referring to...

Luke 6:32-36 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

Here some others on compassion...

Psalm 111:4 He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.

Lamentations 3:22-23 Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

 

[HumbleBee]

double posted lol

 

[HoT-MetaL]

Thank you humblebee! I looked up the greek for the luke verse, and yes, its Agape!!!

Thanks a lot!

God Bless, metal!

 

[HumbleBee]

More Bible verses on God's love...

Isaiah 54:10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.

Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Luke 7:13 When the Lord saw her, His heart went out to her and He said, "Don't cry."

Romans 8:37-39 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. (outworking of God's love in each of us!)

Ephesians 3:14-21 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

1 John 3:1, 16-18 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him...This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

 

[HumbleBee]

Luke 7:12-14 As He approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out--the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, His heart went out to her and He said, "Don't cry." Then He went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!"

Jesus really impacted me with these verses...His heart went out to the widow...is astonishing! Compassion in action, real, visible! Christ recognized she was ALREADY a widow so had previously sorrowed much...and now because her son had just passed on, she'd be left alone with no one to help provide for, nor emotionally support her, nor even to continue their family lineage! Her own livelihood and future was in jeopardy! TY Jesus, by resurrecting her son, He in no small way resurrected the widow's devastated heart and generations!

Here's another example...of Jesus in the moment...

John 11:32-36 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid him?" He asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"

Countless times Jesus felt the distress of others, even though He would soon alleviate their suffering, turning their mourning to joooooy! Nevertheless, He was in the moment with them and even in the future, seeing how their lives would be affected by the tragedy they were experiencing! He validated peoples' emotions, He wasn't flippant or scornful toward them. What a Compassion of all compassions!

 

[honeybee2]

Metal, great post! It's so refreshing to hear christians talking like that, being mindful of their living witness before others. That's really what the world is looking at though, isn't it? It isn't just speaking the word that shows our faith, it's doing the word, living it. Keep it up, brother.

 

[GodSaves]

John 11:33-35 "Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus wept."

Here, we see Jesus weeping before He raises Lazarus from the dead. Throughout the Bible we see many emotions of Jesus. One of my favorites is:

John 2:3-5 "And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."

I just love how Jesus turns to His mother and says to her and seems to give her a hard time, while she knows full well He will do what she is asking. Such a humanizing thought of our Christ Saviour, that He still was humble enough to please His mother. Granted it showed and gave glory to the Father, but it seems so loving of a Son.

What really has had an impact on my life is that if Jesus could go through all that He did for us, the least I could do is to give Him my life. He was blameless, innocent of everything, sinless, and humble. He was tortured, beaten, cursed, spat upon, and crucified. I will never have to endure such things, and if I was to endure such things, I would deserve them for I am a sinner. I am the one who should be beaten tortured, cursed, spat upon and crucified. I am deserving of such a horrible death. But no Jesus, the Son of God, takes it for me. It honestly breaks my heart and makes me feel so wonderful at the same time. Someone who loves me that much, is beyond words. So the least I can do is return the favor the best I can, and give Him my life for His will.

Man, I love Him!