Romans Chapter 15
By Pastor Chris
How Can I Help?
“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.”
— Henri J.M. Nouwen (The Road to Daybreak)
Two years ago Megan’s mom, seemingly out of nowhere, lost all feeling and movement in her legs. There was a real fear that she would be paralyzed. She certainly would struggle to “walk” anything like she did before, if at all. Her mom was active, young and a very kind person. She did not deserve this. Slowly, we realized just how little anyone could do when a body fails a loved one.
Megan spent hours,
days,
nights,
and weeks beside her mom’s hospital bed through multiple operations and complications.
She felt helpless.
Powerless.
During this time, all she was able to do is pray,
offer love and be a presence to her mother.
The word compassion comes from two Latin roots: com (together) and pati (suffer, endure). Compassion is the willingness to suffer with someone as they endure circumstances that are too great for one person to bear. Lifting others up when they are weak is not the way we tend to deal with hard times. It is messy, depressing and asks so much, usually too much, of us. Far too often, we are only focused on ourselves and how things will all effect our lives. Honestly, we are often times tempted simply to send flowers with a card saying we prayed for them.
Compassion is the example our God sets out for us. Look at the life of Christ. He entered into human existence to join us in our suffering. Psalm 145 says, “The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” The LORD joins in the suffering of all. He desires to be with us as we travel through hard times. This is our example.
In Romans 15 Paul says it this way,
Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?” (Romans 15:1-2, The Message)
Are you compassionate? Do you see the weak and run the other way. Are you willing to, like Christ, enter into the difficult times with someone and just be there for them?
