NOTES

Compassion has been called “love in action.” Without the heart behind it—without love—compassion is stripped of its world-changing potential and becomes simply acts of service to alleviate suffering. These acts are still helpful, but they lose their power. Or, as the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:3, “If I give all I possess to the poor ... but do not have love, I gain nothing.”

It is love that activates the ingredients of compassion and transforms the act of serving from checking a box into a joyful overflow of the Father’s love for us that we can’t help but let spill out onto the people around us. It is this love that flips the world’s view of religion on its head, from something that happens in a pew bench to something that happens when we’re not afraid to kneel in the dirt and messiness of this life and embrace someone who is suffering. It happens when we dare to see the need, dare to show up, dare to risk our hearts being broken alongside theirs, dare to confront the darkness of this world and say, “There is hope. This isn’t the end of the story.”

You are called to this kind of extravagant, actionable love. As a child of God, you are capable of this kind of love. Is there any more beautiful calling than that?

Questions to Consider:

Jot down the first five words that come to your mind when describing your life. Don’t overthink it, just note your first reaction.

Of those words, how many align with James’ description of a “pure and faultless” religion? How many reflect God’s love for the overlooked? What needs to be surrendered and replaced?

According to this verse, what do you think some impure or faulty expressions of religion might look like?

What do you think James means when he says to keep yourself from “being unstained by the world”?

Prayer Points:

Spend a few moments journaling and talking to God. If you need some help, here are a few prayer points to get you started:

Ask the Lord to fill you with His love for His people.

Take a few minutes to go through Scripture and find verses about God’s love. Meditate on them throughout the day.

Prayer ties our hearts to each other. Begin praying specifically for people in need, even though you may not know their name. Pray for an orphan, pray for a refugee, pray for a trafficking victim. If you get stuck, try praying Scripture over their lives.

Verse of the Day: