Empathy is inconvenient and requires courage to take on its powerful and emotional mental risks!

It’s so much easier and safer to stay aloof and untouched by pain, frustration, loss, and even the exhilaration of success.

To remain untouched by these emotions limits our connection with those we serve and those whom we don’t see serving… … us.

To risk the difficulties of empathy also brings with it the reward of deep connection, trust, and genuine community with friends and others in our relationships.

We absolutely need empathy to engage in healthy and holy moments with other people’s hearts!

Empathy is the ability to see situations from another person’s point of view and to even feel what the other person is feeling.

Empathy shapes our attitudes and connects our hearts and emotions to be most effective at communicating God’s heart in any given situation that we face.

IN FAILURE empathy helps me to feel the pain and anguish others are experiencing.

IN SUCCESS empathy allows me to rejoice with them and to share their joy.

IN FRUSTRATION, empathy keeps me from saying something foolish or snarky
or acting as if their frustration is uncalled-for or unreasonable.

IN PAIN, empathy keeps me from communicating with worn out clichés or pat answers. (Like: “You’ll get over it in time” or “Just Let it Go”.)

The challenge for believers today is to take the risks to empathize with the men and women in your circle of influence.

Give them your heart and trust the Lord to sustain you and to speak through you in the process. Be honest, with yourself.

Empathy takes the willingness to let the grace of God get into the hardened places of our souls where people may disappoint, disturb or possibly devastate the intentions of our words or hearts.

Empathy opens the eyes of our understanding to see how others feel and respond to words, loss and need.

Our Savior showed us the way of empathy, in that while we were steeped in sin, he died for us, taking our place.

 

In His Shadow,
~ Mary Lindow ^©

Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed as long as complete message and website information for Mary Lindow is included. Thank You!

” THE MESSENGER ” ~ Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
Global Prayer Rooms

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Mary Lindow has a passion for encouraging others – all generations, careers or vocations to live expressing excellence through personal integrity, healthy accountability, and wise management of talents and skills. She’s a sought after keynote, inspirational, humorous speaker and teacher across the USA and internationally in Ministers & Spiritual leaders Conferences, and training seminars for various organizations.

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