Look At Others: Our Compassion Is Preceded By Our Looking

Looking outward shapes and tenders the heart – learn how to see people rightly. Look beyond the bravado and pride, the loud voice or the anger, the beggar, the addict, the self-sufficient - to what is fueling the behavior. This is what Jesus did. In Mark 10:21 (NIV) we see Jesus’ response to the rich young man who continued to lack as he held on to his Delilah: “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” 
Jesus saw the person and not simply the problem. He took the time to look. We are often too preoccupied and distracted in our agenda driven lives to look at others. We have a plan and we are hyper focused on that. Far be it for us to let the Lord interrupt our agenda’s, right? That may be how we roll, but that is not how God works. He looks and He sees. We would do well to allow our eyes to meet others. The eyes are the lamp of the body and they speak volumes. Also, we are all valuable in our Savior’s eyes.  
Every.single.one.of.us. Take the time to look at what He places right before your eyes. Love begins by bothering to look. When we look at others we move outside of our own little world’s into theirs – bonding us, so to speak, as we are all human beings made by God with purpose. Every one of us has a God given plan. The Prophet Jeremiah teaches us in Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV): “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.’” 
When we combine looking with compassion, noticing and caring for the person in front of us, we begin to walk like the Master. We neither shut our eyes nor shut them out. Sadly, we so often tend to cherish objects or projects or time or money or convenience or whatever over people – even those closest to us. Ouch. That is not how Jesus lived. He cherished the person for who they were – one created in the image of God and worthy of His attention. We all desire to be loved and cherished but seldom do we desire to take the time to love and cherish others – thinking of them as better than ourselves as the Apostle Paul writes. To do this rightly, we must slow down and take the time to see them – not be so agenda driven that we miss the opportunity the Lord places in front of us to love like He loved and walk as He walked – through His power and for His glory.