At 14, James Harrison had to have a lung removed. He was in the hospital for several months and received two gallons of donated blood as he recovered. This blood saved his life.
Knowing this, Harrison decided he too would donate blood once he was old enough. And he did. Two years into donating, doctors discovered that Harrison’s blood was unusual. Because of all the blood he’d received, his blood carried a rare antibody that could save the lives of unborn babies.
So for the next sixty years, Harrison, who’d become known as the “man with the golden arm,” donated blood every week. When he gave his last pint at 81, doctors calculated that his generosity saved the lives of 2.4 million babies. And one of those babies was his own granddaughter! What a beautiful demonstration of true compassion—of putting love into action!
We find another example in Acts 3:1-8. On the way to the temple for prayer, Peter and John came upon a man who’d been lame from birth. He was begging at the gate to the temple courts.
Verses 3-4 tell us, “When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, ‘Look at us!’ So the man gave him his attention, expecting to get something from them.”
Here, we find an important aspect of true compassion: it notices real needs. Peter and John recognized it wasn’t pity the lame man needed; it was power. It wasn’t money that would change his life; he needed healing. He needed to feel seen, heard, understood and loved.
Verses 6-8 continue: “Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk…”
Here, we find several more defining characteristics of true compassion: It doesn’t worry about what it doesn’t have; it helps with what it has. It brings purpose to pain, as it ministers God’s truth wrapped in His love. And as both of our stories demonstrate, this compassion has the power to completely transform lives.
In Colossians 3:12, Paul encourages us all to put our love into action. He writes: “…As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion…”
Paul’s choice of the word clothe proves that compassion is not a natural human response. It’s something we must put on daily, like clothing. How? By spending daily time with our Heavenly Father. When we understand how much He loves us, we more readily commit to doing the same for others.
Statistics tell us 85 percent of people come to Christ because of the influence of someone in their world. What an incredible opportunity we have, friends! Together, let’s embrace true compassion that changes lives forever!
