Splink | God Shows Compassion

Kindness Matters!

Items Needed: Slips of paper (with each of the following written on a slip – lonely, sick, afraid, new to a situation, disappointed, hurt, tired, hungry)

Bag or basket to hold the slips of paper

Instruct each family member to pick a slip of paper and read it aloud. Brainstorm ways that you could show compassion to someone in that situation. Some ideas: listen, smile, pray, serve, help, give, hang-out, laugh, work, include, talk, play, eat, celebrate, call, support, cry, and share.

Read John 13:34, 35. What does Jesus tell us to do? (Love one another as He has loved us)

When we show care and compassion to others, others will know that we are followers of God. Let’s all be sure to show more compassion this week than we did last week so we can follow the Lord’s example.

Spoon Fed

Tape a plastic spoon to the end of a yardstick so you have a very long-handled spoon.

Allow family members to take turns trying to feed themselves dry cereal with the spoon. Make sure they don’t “choke up” on the handle. After everyone has attempted to use the spoon, offer a suggestion.

I have an idea. What if one of us uses the spoon to feed another person. Do you think it will work better?  Encourage two family members to try this approach. Even though it is still awkward, it will be much better than attempting the task alone.

That was a good example of what selfishness accomplishes. You can work hard to make yourself happy but in the end it leads to frustration. You would think the way to become happy is to put yourself first. The interesting truth is that the happiest people in the world are often people who spend their lives showing compassion to others. We have to fight the urge to be naturally selfish.

God shows compassion on us and expects His followers to show compassion to others. Let’s all do what we can to show compassion this week.

Compassion Campaign

Discuss the meaning of compassion. Our God is compassionate toward us. Even when we fail, God shows us compassion. Because of this, we must strive to be compassionate as well. Compassion allows us to love, forgive, and help others.

Start a Compassion campaign in your home. Challenge family members to add a marble (or something else) to a jar when they notice others being unselfish and showing compassion—acting on their care for someone. Choose a reward for the family when the jar is filled. This is a team effort—not an individual one.

Throughout the campaign, work together to memorize a Bible verse together about compassion. Lamentations 3:22-23 is one suggestion.