Is God Calling You to Compassion? by Emmitt Drumgoole
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times… He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.
(Micah 5: 2, 4 NIV)
In the little town of Bethlehem, from a small tribe of Judah, God promised through the prophet Micah that a ruler would be born who would draw God’s people back together. An unlikely person from a small town, set to make a big difference in many lives. The predominate imagery of this ruler is not of a ruthless king, but a loving shepherd. Hardly the image most would consider as a deliverer from Assyrian bondage. Still, this shepherd-king from the small town of Bethlehem was everything they needed, though nothing of what they expected.
What would it look like if we approached the Christmas season the way that God does, seeking to bless unsuspecting people in unlikely ways?
My wife Kristen and I are friends with a family who have radically changed how they give during the holidays. One year in January, the entire family, children and all, began dreaming about a compassion focus for the year. The asked the question, “What is God guiding our hearts toward this year?” With input from all family members, they settled on caring for orphans by partnering with a ministry in Uganda. Their compassion focus guided their research, spending, and savings throughout the year. They concluded their project by baking cupcakes to raise money for the orphanage. One thousand six hundred tiny cupcakes later, they had raised $2,600 for the orphanage. Their cupcakes for Christmas used the gifts and talents of each family member and provided a small way for their family to love the people that God deeply loves. They had shifted their Christmas focus from spending more to giving more.
Is there an area of compassion that God is guiding your heart toward this Christmas? What are some little ways that this can become a gift-giving opportunity for you?