Leading with Compassion

In a Gallup study of Strength-Based Leadership, there are four characteristics people look for in their leaders. Those characteristics are trust, compassion, stability, and hope. Gallup found that leaders who display these qualities have better results because they are associated with higher levels of engagement.

With that in mind, a Christ-centered leader understands that everything they do directly affects the people they lead. The best leaders lead with their followers in mind.

Compassion

Take the characteristic of compassion as an example. To lead with compassion means you have the willingness to listen, that you have a genuine concern for those under your care, that you work to remove the obstacles that keep them from using their strengths, and you create a culture where they feel supported, valued, and respected.

Whether it be in casual conversation or official communication, those entrusted to your care experience compassion in every interaction they have with you. As a Christ-centered leader, you show compassion in your empathy, understanding, and kindness. 

In her book, Rising Strong, Brene Brown states that compassion is a relationship between equals. It is only when you know your own weakness that you can be present with the weaknesses of others. She writes, “Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.”

With that in mind, let’s read Matthew 9:35-38.

Read Matthew 9:35-38

³⁵ Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸ therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Reflect on Matthew 9:36

Let’s focus upon verse 36, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them…”

When Jesus saw the crowd of ordinary women and men, he was moved with compassion. The word used for compassion here is the strongest word that could be used in the Greek language. It is a word which means “bowels.” It describes the compassion which comes from the deepest depths of a person’s being.

In other words, Jesus’ love for the people was deep within his being. He was moved so deeply that he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

How do we best describe the love and compassion that grows from deep within? I will answer that question in this way.

Compassion at Work

The birth of my oldest granddaughter changed my life. Although she was born nineteen years ago, I remember that day as if it was yesterday.

Knowing her birth was near; Kim and I were prepared when our son called and said, “the baby is on its way.” We got in the car and drove to the hospital.

When we arrived, he met us in the waiting room. He told us he would come back when the baby was born. We waited about an hour. When he came back he had tears in his eyes. He could hardly speak. I immediately thought something was wrong, but before I could ask, he said, “She is perfect. I have a beautiful baby girl.”

The Depth of Love

He then invited us to meet our new granddaughter. As we entered the room, she was a small bundle in her mother’s arms. As we took turns holding her, admiring her, and absorbing the reality of the moment, I was overcome with a deep sense of love. It was a love so overwhelming that my life changed.

Over the next several months, through my reflection on her birth and upon the love I was experiencing, I realized that my perspectives were changing. Even though I had been married for almost 30 years, and Kim and I had experienced the birth of our own two children, the love I was experiencing was different. I did not know I could love so deeply. Although it was more than a feeling, the love was coming from deep within me.

Praying for Love

It was so transformative, that I began to ask God to help me love the church and the community with that same love. I began to think and feel that only God could give me, or anyone, a love so deep that it would transform the way I perceived and received others.

I began to pray every day, “O God, help me love the church and community the way you love me and the world.”

When I think of compassion, I think of the love I experienced that day nineteen years ago. A love so deep and transformative, I was moved to put it into action in the places I lived, worked, and associated with others.

When Jesus was moved with compassion, it was a love so deep that it changed the people around him and ultimately the world. When I experienced the depths of that love, I realized that God had given me a love with which to love others. 

Respond

Be aware of the people around you today. Look for those who need to be loved? How will you show compassion? How will you draw them into a closer relationship? Be aware of what needs to happen in your life to have compassion for the people God sends your way.

Prayer

O God, help me love the people you send my way today. Fill me with a love so deep that I am moved with the same compassion Jesus had when he saw the crowds as sheep without a shepherd. By your grace, I place myself at your disposal, in the name of Jesus. Amen

Return

Give God thanks for the people you encountered today. In whom did you see Jesus? In what ways were you moved by compassion? What did you learn about yourself? What will you do differently tomorrow? Give God thanks for the experiences that have helped you become who God created you to be. 

Pray for the compassion of Jesus. As you experience the depths of God’s love, you will become more who God has created you to be. And who you are in how you lead.