Listen

The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He lets me rest in grassy meadows; he leads me to restful waters; he keeps me alive. He guides me in proper paths for the sake of his good name.

Psalm 23:1-3

Think

Along the way, we may meet people who seem to have everything. We sometimes compare ourselves to them. However, when we count on God and understand that God is our shepherd, the picture changes. The shepherd shows love and compassion for those under the shepherd’s care. It’s a good reminder that the first person we should have compassion for is ourselves. At times, we demand too much of ourselves and hurt ourselves, but when the image of God as shepherd is clear, we are invited to extend the same love and compassion to others that God shows to us.

The invitation of compassion extends to our friends so that they can love each other and rest in God’s mercy, making them feel that they are safe and protected. We also see God’s compassion in God’s constant provision for us to make the best decisions in our personal, family, academic, and friendship lives. Learning to have compassion for yourself will help you stay on the path of God’s righteousness.

Bryan Vélez Garcia

Question to Ponder:

How can we cultivate compassion toward ourselves and others, based on the image of God as our shepherd?

Pray

God of all grace and power, help me to walk in the path of compassion and justice, even in the face of those who do wrong. Amen.

Go

Live like an instrument of God’s compassion.