October - Raising Compassionate Kids

Raising Compassionate Kids

What is compassion?  Have you ever asked yourself that question?  Have you ever asked your kids what THEY think compassion is?  Here is what the dictionary says: Com.pas.sion (n) - Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it.  Our speaker, today, shared her son's definition of compassion:  "Compassion is feeling sorry for someone and wanting to help them." 

 Compassion is written about LOTS in the bible: 

 Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you."

1 Peter 3:8-9 "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.  Do not repay eveil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."

Philippians 2:1-5 "Do nothing our of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Many more passages call for us to be compassionate to others.  

Why teach compassion to our children?  We are called to do so.  

Proverbs 22:6 "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

The second greatest commandment is to love others.  As moms, it is up to us to teach our children. 

 "God's character is embodied in the definition of compassion.  As our Creator, He desires us to be as compassionate as Him and show human kindness to others.  To be compassionate, we must have love in us that compels us to do good deeds.  if we do good deeds for someone, but we do not have love for that person, we are not compassionate."  (see 1 Corinthians 13:3) Access-Jesus.com

There is a huge need for compassion in our world, today.  Our children will be the ones to carry on in the name of Jesus after us and take care for those who are less fortunate.

How do we teach compassion when we don't feel very compassionate?  Demonstrate compassionate responses - towards your children and towards others.  Lead by example.  Show them what it means to have compassion for others and how to act on that compassion.  Pray for God to fill you with His Spirit of love and care for others around you.  

We heard from Laura Helwig, child advocate for Compassion International.  She shared these thoughts with us.  She also shared the need to sponsor children through Compassion International.  North Shore MOPS red table has stepped up and followed God's leading to sponsor a child.  They will be doing this together as a group each month!  We are very excited to hear about their child and how they are doing this together as a team.  

In closing her talk about raising compassionate children, Laura shared what her daughter (8) said compassion meant to her: "Compassion is loving others like Jesus loves you."  May we raise our children to know what it is to have Jesus love them and also to love others that same way!