The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. Psalm 103:8
Why should we care about being compassionate? Perhaps the biggest reason that we want to develop compassion for others in our lives is that showing compassion reflects God to others.
You were created in the image of God. As Psalm 103:8 describes, God is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
Therefore as people created in His image we were created to show compassion and grace, patience and mercy to those around us.
When you show compassion to others, you spread the Gospel without using words.
Two verses later the psalmist gives us a great picture of what compassion from the Lord looks like when he writes in verses 10–14
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who ear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.
For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust. (Psalm 103:10–14)
This is a great picture of compassion in action. Our loving Father has not dealt with us according to our sins. He sent His Son to pay the price for our sins. Through the death and Resurrection of Jesus, our sins are removed from us “as far as the east is from the west.”
Our Loving Father is mindful of our human condition and He shows compassion on us, His children.
I am reminded of the verse in 1 John which tells us that we show love (and I will add, compassion) to others because we receive love (and compassion) from the Lord.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:11)
The answer to why show compassion is really is that simple. We show compassion to our fellow man, woman, and child because God has dealt with us compassionately.
God is compassionate, therefore we—who are created in His image—have the ability to operate compassionately to the world around us. By doing so, we reflect God to others and draw them to Him.
Hallelujah!