Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Colossians 3:12
“One of the most studied psychological motivations for generosity is empathy… Related to empathy is compassion—caring for and wanting to help those in need—and research suggests that feelings of compassion can also lead people to behave generously… Interventions designed to increase a person’s sense of compassion can also increase their propensity to engage in prosocial behaviors. One study found that participants who had engaged in short-term compassion training were more helpful…and another study found that compassion training increased the amount of money participants gave.”
Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.
The “Stations of Generosity” training went well in Bogotá, Colombia. Today Paula, Carla, and I will coach a group of ministry workers on the use of GTP templates. Each one has completed our diagnostic tool with the vision of building local capacity.
Committed, receptive, and attentive would describe the workers we have served. Committed to our Lord Jesus Christ, receptive to teaching, training, and coaching, and attentive to applying what they learned and sharing it with others.
Our audience has ranged from the Evangelical Alliance for Colombia to pastors and ministry worker and missionaries and servants who work in the Amazon or with indigenous groups in South America. Great people thankful for biblical and practical help.
Part of what drives my service is compassion. It was my word for the year a few years back. My word this year is gratitude, and I am so grateful for this research. If you study compassion training you focus on topics like the themes in this verse from the Apostle Paul.
So, again, the findings affirm the biblical teaching which calls us to put on five things. Read the list. Are any missing in your life. God train us put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience so that we might serve as your generous disciples who help and give more.