Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Yesterday, I prayed that God would help my children have a humble spirit. What a person says and how he says it reflects the state of the person's heart. I desire that my children have a humble heart that reflects Christ. Someone who is humble will never use words flippantly or arrogantly. He never demeans. He never hurts or lashes out. He speaks in tones that are loving and kind. He knows no pride, he seeks no public approval. He does what is good, pure and right. He forgives easily.

Today, I will pray that my children will be clothed in compassion. May they become more and more compassionate with each passing year, each decade. It is not true that the older you become, the better you become. Even among "experienced" Christians. We all have met older or elderly people who have become embittered by life's trials, and through those hard times, their hearts become flint-like and anger-filled.

Noah Webster defines compassion in this way:

COMPASSION, n.

1. A suffering with another; painful sympathy; a sensation of sorrow excited by the distress or misfortunes of another; pity; commiseration. Compassion is a mixed passion, compounded of love and sorrow; at least some portion of love generally attends the pain or regret, or is excited by it. Extreme distress of an enemy even changes enmity into at least temporary affection.

He being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity. Ps. 78.

His father had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. Luke 15.

I love the picture of the father rushing towards his wayward, prodigal son. He had compassion. True compassion. He suffered with his son, he felt painful sympathy towards him, and upon reaching his son, he embraced him passionately. He was expressive. He was not ashamed. And like the Heavenly Father, he forgave his wastrel of a son. He forgave extravagantly.

Oh, to have such compassion ourselves when loved ones or strangers suffer pain! Oh, to be a recipient of such compassion when we suffer pain!

Dear Father,

May my children grow in the grace of compassion. May their hearts always be soft and responsive to people around them. May they respond to the pain of others with true sympathy. And may they know how to express that affection– in love, in kindness and in deep compassion. Amen.

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Posted by AcceptanceWithJoy

for visiting my blog and commenting on my testimony.

I love the idea of praying humility and compassion into our children. There are days however, that I need to work on those virtues myself. I would have never said that prior to becoming a mom. I thought I was really humble and compassionate.

I used to have a pastor that said in a sermon one day that God always places someone in your life that would show you the ugliness of your heart. He called that person "Your spiritual dipstick."

My husband and I weren't married yet. I remember telling him in a phone conversation after hearing that sermon, "I adopted my dipstick!"

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Posted by Happyhome

I join you in your prayers for our children. To me, homeschooling is much more about heart schooling than head knowledge. Thank you for sharing.

Blessings and Merry Christmas!

Angela

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