Tag: compassion

The School of Jesus

~ jesusluvsall ~ 23 Comments

Matthew 9:36-“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

A prayer of mine long ago was to ask Jesus to give me his heart for people. Before I rededicated my life to Jesus in July 1989, I did not have a heart for others. As I read through the gospels and how Jesus treated people when he was on earth, it spoke to me so much that I asked him to give me his heart for others.

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How he answered that prayer was to take me through the school of interacting with those who have suffered in life. It began in October 1989 when I came home one evening and felt his presence so much that I fell to the floor. He gave me images in my mind of hurting people and impressed upon me that wherever I go, he would connect me with someone who is suffering.

That ramped up a great deal as I began to teach English Second Language and meet refugees. Hearing their stories of suffering and helping them with their new lives in America while sharing Jesus with them changed me. Their stories are ones of escaping war and danger, oppression, and suffering.

That is how the school of Jesus works. He calls us, places us in situations to teach us, and changes us. As Ephesians 2:10 says:

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The process of being created in Christ Jesus for good works is not some poof instantly equipped thing. It is a life of being discipled by Jesus through the school of Jesus in real life experiences that change us. It is not easy. It can be heartbreaking at times. But it is so worthwhile.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

How Jesus Would View Simone Biles

~ jesusluvsall ~ 29 Comments

Negative reactions to Simone Biles withdrawing from the Olympics has much more to do with how messed up values are in our culture than Simone Biles withdrawing. The one question I ask myself is how would Jesus view her?

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Here is a 24 year old woman who has spent the majority of her life training. She has already captured six medals in previous Olympics. But she is also a young woman who is a sexual assault survivor. She was victimized along with other young women by someone teen girls should be able to trust, a team doctor. She had the courage to come forward along with some of the other victims. That kind of trauma stays with a person. She pursued her love of gymnastics even while carrying that trauma in her spirit.

As a Christian, I am mindful of how even Jesus experienced being praised by people and then rejected and scoffed at by some of the same people during his Passion Week when he was crucified. Jesus views Simone Biles the same as he would any woman who has been victimized as Biles was. He views her as a young woman in need of healing for her soul and spirit and in need of his compassion.

That is the only way Christians should view her, as a young woman who has suffered at the hands of not only the man who assaulted her, but also at the hands of those in Team USA who sought to cover it up. She owes us nothing. She deserves compassion, understanding, and respect for having achieved as much as she has while dealing with trauma.

Thank you for reading God Bless.