Presented by Lauren Stibgen

Think about the last time you really wanted someone to help you or a friend to commiserate with. You just needed someone to see your need, to reach out, and to show you well, compassion. If you are anything like me, I deploy what many would call a resilience strategy for my life so these moments when I am truly low or even physically hurting and I want someone to come alongside me are few and far between. I have met so many women like this—especially in the executive ranks. Perhaps as my friend Catherine Gates would say in her book, The Confidence Cornerstone, we have bought into a belief system in our culture that causes us as women to go it alone. Afraid of seeming vulnerable, sometimes, even when we really need it, we don’t seek or receive compassion from others well at all.[1]

I know one woman in the Bible who didn’t want compassion. In fact, in her sorrow, she wanted to go it alone. Naomi. Most of you know this story. Naomi and her husband, Elimelech flee to Moab with their two sons. The sons take foreign wives. Eventually, the husband and both sons die leaving Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah (not Oprah) widowed and alone. Naomi decides it is time to head back to Judah. In Ruth 1:8 Naomi tells her daughters-in-law, Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me.

Maybe she was showing compassion and gratitude for these women. We know Orpah returns to Moab and Ruth insists on going along with the widowed Naomi. We then see Naomi is bitter; she isn’t receiving the compassion Ruth is providing by staying with her and returning to a foreign land where she may not even be welcomed culturally. In Ruth 1: 20-21, we see Naomi asking to be called Mara or bitter because she went away full and returned empty. She was blind to receiving compassion from Ruth, instead focusing on her anger.

Faithful, Ruth redeems Naomi’s family lineage by being obedient and humble—ultimately marrying Boaz. In the end, God was compassionate on these women.

We are not made to do life alone. In fact, we see this as a command over and over in Scripture. We need compassion from others in our life, but most of all we need the compassion of Jesus Christ over our lives.

When we are overburdened, Jesus calls us to him.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).

He offers us peace.

Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John 14:27).

He tells us to abide with him.

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me (John 15:4).

To me, the most compassionate part of all of this is knowing Jesus Christ died on the cross to bear my sins. This is the only way I have access to a Savior who carries my burdens, offers me peace, and helps me bear fruit if I am abiding with him.

Jesus was compassionate to death.

God has always wanted us to have access to his compassion. We see this repeatedly in the Old Testament.

Isaiah 30:18 states: Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore, he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice.

Again, in Isaiah 49:13: Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth, burst into song you mountains!  For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

God loves us as his children. Psalm 103:13 states: As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

The ultimate compassion from God IS Jesus Christ. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,