EMPATHY

“All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”

-Matthew 7:12

Christ said, “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the law and the prophets (Matthew 7:12). These words from the Sermon on the Mount are the basis of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.”

It sounds simple but does it work? In the children’s wings of the Grace New Haven Hospital, the play-therapy program was having a problem. The janitor was angry with the children when they dropped paint and clay on his clean floors. One day, the head nurse watched the old man as with his back bent, he scrubbed and polished the floors. She discovered he had been scrubbing the floor for years, until he had rubbed something of himself into it. She carefully explained to the old fellow just how the children’s activities were helping them to get well. Now when he wipes off paint and clay, he is proud of his part in a child’s recovery.

The Nurse put Christ’s word in action – psychologists say she used empathy. She learned to appreciate the old fellow’s feelings and yet not become so emotionally involved that her own sense of judgment was affected. To put ourselves in someone’s shoes means that we have to forget ourselves, and that is a pretty hard task.

Have you ever asked God to help you see the other person’s viewpoint? Have you ever prayed for the person who irritates you? Let me share you a secret. If you can drop to your knees and ask God to help you love a person that seems so unlovable, you will be able to see his point of view much easier. Read the Bible, and practice its principle into your life. Make faith in God’s Son your guidelines for living.

God Bless YOU..

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