Self-compassion

​"He was moved with compassion." (Matthew 9:36)

Showing compassion is being moved by the suffering and pain of others. “It literally means to suffer with.” When one can identify with another’s pain or human experience, there is a feeling of warmth and caring, along with a desire to lift up or assist. These same characteristics have been found to improve our mental health when we can apply them to ourselves.

“Self-criticism will turn failure into despair, according to Stanford research. But self-compassion will help you view disappointment as a learning opportunity” and do things differently moving forward. It’s saying to ourselves what we would say to someone else.

Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Then, while he tarried in the world, a man among men, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, he was constantly moved with compassion; for he felt all the griefs of mankind in himself. He took our sicknesses and carried our sorrows: he proved himself a true brother, with quick, human sensibilities. He gave up all the comforts of life—he gave his life itself; he gave his very self to prove that he was moved with compassion.”

The Lord’s great compassion moved him to sacrifice all for us. Yet, we cannot glorify Him if we are broken and defeated. He has paved the way for us to express similar compassions even toward ourselves.

We have the power to turn self-criticism into self-compassion.

GiGi❤️

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