I opened up my email inbox this morning and at the very top was an email with the subject “It is a good day to show someone you care.”
Of course, the emailing company wanted me to do that by buying and sending someone one of their products. But as I started to delete the email, I thought, you know, it is a good day to show someone you care. In fact, God’s Word reminds us that we are to clothe ourselves with caring virtues.
“Therefore, God’s ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience ….” [Colossians 3:12 HCSB]
As I looked at that verse and those words (compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience), I was struck by how often we think of these words as “feelings” or emotions. But are they only that, a feeling or emotion? If so, we can sit comfortably in our living rooms and “feel” compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience without ever once showing someone we care.
I decided they must be more than emotions. There must be some action involved with each one. Then I found that “action” when I looked up the first couple words.
Compassion is the Greek word, oiktirmos. It means a deep feeling about someone’s difficulty or misfortune. And even more it is used of the deep feelings God has for all of us and powerfully shows and shares in those following Him.
If that was not enough, I went on to look up kindness, chrestotes. It is kindness that is also serviceable. It refers to meeting real needs, in God’s way and in His timing. It is the Spirit-produced goodness which meets the need and avoids human harshness.
I did not go any further. These two words are enough to command us to show, and how to show, others how much we care.
It is a good day to show someone we care … just as God has shown us how much He cares for us!
