When we look at Jesus’ life on Earth, we know that service was an integral part of it. Everywhere He went, He made people aware of God’s love by personally helping them. What motivated Him to do these things? It was Splagchnon (pronounced splangkh-non).

Splagchnon is the word used in the Greek text of Luke 10:33, which is part of the parable of the Good Samaritan:

“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassionfor him.”

And it was what Jesus felt when He healed a man with leprosy in Mark 1:41:

“Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be healed!’”

When we let God open our eyes to serving opportunities, we start to see the world as Jesus saw it: with compassion.

And feeling God’s compassion for others can help us serve in ways we never thought possible. I know that God has led Alive Church to serve in places we never thought we would be. We’ve worked with our missionaries in South Africa to minister to AIDS patients. We’ve distributed thousands of Life Transformation Bibles around Tucson, around the nation and even around the world. We’ve started a mission to build houses for families in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico. We’ve been working on transforming the Tucson Valley through outreach and more!

When you feel compassion for the lost, God can lead you into exciting directions. While we should always pray for opportunities to be God’s hands and feet, we can also remember the actions of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37and apply those when we see a need.

The Samaritan stoppedwhat he was doing to help the injured man, unlike those who passed before him. He then dropped off his horse and wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. Lastly, he served by taking care of the man.

What can you do to have more compassion and to stop, drop and serve those around you? Know that I’m praying for you as you contemplate the answer.

In Christ,

Jeff