The Story: Colossians 3:12
The Apostle Paul urges his readers that they should act according to their new identity. Since they are in Christ, they are holy and loved, and they have a responsibility to act appropriately. Paul tells his readers that they should clothe themselves with compassion.
Application:
Compassion means to suffer with someone. It’s the ability to bear someone’s suffering with the desire to alleviate it. Practically all caregivers possess this compassionate flame, but burnout can extinguish it. Often people think the cause of their burnout is showing too much compassion and seek to minimize these feelings to mitigate burnout. But this thought is not supported. Research demonstrates that offering more compassion decreases burnout.
In this section of Colossians, Paul urges his readers (which includes us) to cultivate the virtue of compassion, which is a characteristic of Christ. Christ often had compassion on people (Matt 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34), resulting in healings, feedings, and sharing the good news of grace and new life. Compassion wasn’t just an emotion. It was an act. So the next time an opportunity comes to show compassion, don’t dismiss it. Please take advantage of it. You’ll be displaying Christ-like character and mitigating burnout.
Contentment Key: Compassion is a Christ-like characteristic that decreases burnout.
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