One of my favorite stories in the Bible is about the prodigal son in Luke 15.
“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. (Luke 15:20 NLT)
I love that “filled with LOVE and COMPASSION” he ran!
The Father in this story had every right to be mad and offended at his son. He had every right to disown him. The young boy had stooped to the lowest level of society. He could have demanded a full repayment of the money that had been spent. I believe everyday the father was looking out into the field saying to himself, “that son of mine is coming home.” While the son was out in the world partying up to his neck in sin, the father was watching, waiting, longing for his son to come home.
Compassion sees a problem and has an overwhelming desire to alleviate the suffering.
The father when he saw his son, covered from head to toe in pig slop didn’t turn up his spiritual nose! No! He gave him a big hug and a kiss. He told the servants to restore him! He never gave up on his son. He didn’t stop believing, and he never gave up.
We cannot lose our compassion for those who are lost. The bible says “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe.” (2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT) They don’t even know what they are doing because they’re not in their “right mind.” In verse 17 it says “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself…”(Luke 15:17 NLT) It’s our job to pray for the lost not to judge or condemn.
God never gave up on us when we were out in the world in sin. We should never give up on our family members. Never give up on our co-workers. Never give up on or friends. Never stop believing for them. God will show you how to minister to them. Like the father, fill yourself with love and compassion concerning the lost and soon you’ll see yourself running after them bringing them home.
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