Moved with compassion

We often respond differently to the plight of the poor and needy. On hearing the news on television about the sick pleading for financial assistance to enable them to undergo some operation abroad some people just say, “Oh shame!”  Others get nervous when they see their terrible affliction and go into hiding. Still others complain why God allows people to suffer like that. There are also folks who respond by accusing the afflicted for being sinners who deserve what has befallen them. And then there are those who are indifferent; they listen attentively, say nothing and do nothing. Have you ever wondered what the best response to the plight of the afflicted, the poor and needy could be?
Well, before we answer that question let us review some incidents in the Bible where God was involved with the afflicted and see how He responded. When the children of Israel suffered much affliction and bondage in the hands of the Egyptian taskmasters, they cried to God for help and God responded. His response recorded in Exodus 3:7,8 says, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters: for I know their sorrows. And I am come to deliver them. God was moved with compassion towards the afflicted and he delivered them. It is recorded of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 14:14, And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them and he healed them. n fact all Jesus’ miracles of raising the dead (Luke 7:13; John 11:35), healing the sick and multiplication of food to feed multitudes (Matt. 15:32) were results of His being moved with compassion.  From the above accounts and others throughout the Scripture it is clear that the divine response to the plight of the afflicted is compassion.
The Good Samaritan’s story is immortal because he was moved with compassion to help the sick (Luke 10:34). Dorcas or Tabitha was raised from the dead for one reason: she was moved with compassion and gave her life to helping the poor and needy. Mother Theresa and Florence Nightingale and our own Jairos Jiri were great people. Their greatness was rooted in compassion towards the poor and needy. The best response to the plight of the poor is to be moved with compassion towards them and do something to relieve their affliction.
The word compassion can be described as the gut instinct to rescue somebody in affliction. It means more than just having pity or sympathy towards the afflicted and wish things were different.  Compassion involves feeling for someone in affliction and then doing some act of kindness towards them. In showing compassion it is not the size of the act of kindness that counts but the size of the heart involved.  The smallest of an act of kindness is better than the grandiest of an intention. The true marks of compassion include: benevolence to the poor and needy especially during fasting periods (Isaiah 58:7), helpfulness or giving liberally to the needy (Acts 20:35), bearing the burdens of the weak (Gal. 6:2; Rom. 15:1) and visitation of the needy (James 1:17).  It should knock selfishness and heartlessness out of you to learn that the standard measure of true religion in general and true fasting in particular is showing compassion to the afflicted.
You might want ask, “If our only response to the poor and needy is to show compassion towards them, won’t we cause them to foster a receiver-mentality that prevent them from helping themselves and others?”  A donor-mentality is not a virtue so the gospel is preached to the poor such that they know that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35) and they are encouraged to give out of their poverty. It is therefore necessary to feed the souls of the poor with the word of God alongside feeding their stomachs with physical food. 
By and large if you allow the Holy Spirit to move you with compassion towards the afflicted you will never give the wrong people. But it is a great mistake to be found on the side of judging the poor and needy instead of being on the side of showing mercy. If you have no substance to give then like Peter give what you have: miracle prayer.
There is a promised multiplied payback to anyone who gives anything to the poor and needy (Prov. 19:17).

– If you are looking for a reputable channel through which to give alms and used clothes to rural orphans and widows call 0772889766 or e-mail: mairos78@yahoo.co.uk