Sometimes we get so busy that we overlook the people around us. Let’s learn to stir up our hearts with compassion.

>> VICTORIA OSTEEN: I JUST

WANT TO ENCOURAGE US ALL

TO OPEN OUR HEARTS

OF COMPASSION.

YOU SEE, SOMETIMES WE GET

SO BUSY IN LIFE THAT WE

DON’T EVEN NOTICE

THE PEOPLE AROUND US.

WE HAVE JOBS,

WE HAVE FAMILIES,

WE HAVE CHORES,

RESPONSIBILITIES,

AND SOMETIMES THOSE THINGS

CAN KEEP US SO FOCUSED ON

OURSELVES AND WHAT WE NEED

TO GET DONE THAT WE FORGET

ABOUT THE PEOPLE AROUND US.

WE DON’T UNDERSTAND THAT

MAYBE THEY NEED SOMETHING

FROM US, AND GOD WANTS US TO

OPEN OUR HEART OF COMPASSION,

TO SEE THROUGH THE EYES OF

THIS COMPASSION, AND SEE WHAT

THE PEOPLE AROUND US NEED.

SEE, GOD WANTS TO FLOW

THROUGH US TO OTHER PEOPLE.

HE WANTS TO USE US AS AN

INSTRUMENT OF LOVE.

HE WANTS US TO BE THE HANDS

AND FEET OF HIM RIGHT DOWN

HERE ON THIS EARTH, BUT WE’RE

NEVER GOING TO BE THAT UNTIL

WE BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THIS

FEELING THAT GOD WANTS TO PUT

IN US SO THAT IT CAN FLOW

OUT OF US.

IT SAYS IN JOHN 3:17:

“‘IF ANYONE SEES HIS BROTHER

IN NEED AND YET CLOSES

HIS HEART OF COMPASSION,

IS THE LOVE OF GOD

IN HIM?'”

QUESTION MARK.

YOU SEE, THIS SCRIPTURE SAYS

WE ALL HAVE A HEART OF

COMPASSION, AND IT INDICATES

THAT THIS HEART, THIS CHAMBER

THAT GOD WANTS TO WORK

THROUGH, CAN EITHER BE

OPENED, OR IT CAN BE CLOSED.

IT CAN BE SHUT OFF,

AND AS A RESULT OF IT

BEING SHUT OFF,

THE LOVE OF GOD

CANNOT FLOW OUT OF IT.

WE DON’T RECOGNIZE WHAT GOD

WANTS TO DO THROUGH US, AND

CAN I TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, GOD

WANTS TO WORK THROUGH YOU?

HE’S NOT LOOKING

AT YOUR MISTAKES.

HE’S NOT LOOKING

AT YOUR PAST.

HE IS LOOKING AT WHO

HE WANTS YOU TO BE

AND THE THINGS HE WANTS TO DO

THROUGH YOUR LIFE,

BECAUSE YOU ARE

VERY INFLUENTIAL.

YOU HOLD VALUE AND SUBSTANCE,

AND IN YOUR SPHERE

OF ATMOSPHERE,

WHEREVER YOU TRAVEL,

GOD WANTS YOU TO USE

WHAT HE’S GIVEN YOU, AND THE

FIRST WAY TO USE WHAT HE’S

GIVEN US IS TO RECOGNIZE THAT

GOD WANTS TO PUT IN US THE

ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND THIS

COMPASSION AND HOW

IT WORKS IN OUR LIFE.

YOU SEE, I BELIEVE THAT’S THE

REASON SOME PEOPLE ARE VERY

UNHAPPY TODAY, IS BECAUSE

THEY’VE CLOSED THEIR HEART

OF COMPASSION.

THEY’RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION

TO THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM,

TO THE WORLD AROUND THEM.

YOU SEE, IF WE’RE GOING

TO LIVE THIS FULL LIFE IN

THE ABUNDANCE THAT GOD

HAS GIVEN US,

WE NEED TO STIR UP THIS

HEART OF COMPASSION AND SAY,

“GOD, GIVE ME EYES TO SEE

WHAT YOU’D HAVE ME DO TODAY.

OPEN MY MIND AND MY HEART

TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEED

YOUR LOVE.”

ALL THROUGH THE BIBLE,

WE CAN READ THIS WHEN

JESUS WALKED THE EARTH.

HE SAW THE MULTITUDES,

AND THE BIBLE SAYS THAT HE

WAS MOVED WITH COMPASSION.

HE SAW THE SICK.

IT SAYS THAT HE HAD THIS

DEEP INWARD MOVING

OF COMPASSION.

HE SAW TWO BLIND MEN.

THEY WERE YELLING HIS NAME,

“JESUS, SON OF DAVID,

HAVE MERCY ON ME.”

IT SAYS, “HE WAS MOVED

IN HIS INNER BEING WITH

COMPASSION.”

IT’S INTERESTING BECAUSE

JESUS WALKED OVER TO WHERE

THOSE BLIND MEN WERE.

HE TURNED RIGHT AROUND, HE

WALKED OVER, HE LOOKED THEM

RIGHT IN THE FACE.

THEY COULDN’T SEE HIM,

BUT I BET THEY COULD FEEL HIM.

THEY COULD FEEL HIM.

THEY FELT THAT COMPASSION.

THEY SAID, “HAVE MERCY

ON US.”

HE SAID, “WHAT DO YOU WANT?”

THEY SAID, “WE WANT TO SEE,”

AND DO YOU KNOW

THAT COMPASSION

THAT WAS IN CHRIST JESUS

WENT OUT OF HIM IN POWER

AND HEALED THOSE

TWO BLIND MEN?

YOU SEE, COMPASSION

IS POWERFUL.

COMPASSION CAN BRING

FORTH MIRACLES.

YOU SEE, JESUS FED

THE MULTITUDES BECAUSE

OF THE COMPASSION.

JESUS HEALED THE SICK, OPENED

BLIND EYES BECAUSE HE

UNDERSTOOD THAT GOD WAS

SAYING, “THIS IS YOUR TIME,

MOVE OUT IN COMPASSION.”

YOU SEE, HE DIDN’T JUST FEEL

SORRY FOR THEM.

HE DIDN’T JUST SAY, “OH,

WELL, THAT’S PITIFUL.

AWW, MAN, THAT’S TOO BAD.

OH, MY HEART HURTS

FOR THEM.”

YOU SEE, HIS COMPASSION

HAD ACTION.

IT MOVED, IT HAD ACTION, AND

YOU SEE, YOU MAY SAY TO ME

TODAY, “WELL, I DON’T THINK

I CAN OPEN BLIND EYES.

I DON’T THINK I CAN HEAL

THE SICK.

I CAN’T FEED THE MULTITUDES.”

BUT DO YOU KNOW, THE

COMPASSION THAT LIVES IN YOU,

WHEN YOU’RE AWARE OF IT,

IT WILL CAUSE YOU

TO MOVE OUT IN POWER?

IT WILL GIVE YOU THE DESIRE

TO HELP SOMEONE ELSE,

BECAUSE, SEE, IT’S NOT YOU.

IT’S THE POWER OF GOD IN YOU

BEING RELEASED

TO SOMEONE ELSE

FOR A MIRACLE.

HOW FREEING IS THAT?

YOU KNOW, DON’T PUT THE

PRESSURE ON YOURSELF.

SAY “GOD, I UNDERSTAND WHAT

YOU’RE DOING ON THE INSIDE

OF ME, AND, GOD, I AM GOING

TO REACH OUT AND MOVE IN

THE COMPASSION THAT YOU’VE

GIVEN ME, THIS DIVINE FLOW

OF LOVE.”

YOU SEE, WE ARE DIRECTED

TO FOLLOW LOVE

AND LET IT GUIDE US.

WHEN YOU FEEL

THIS COMPASSION,

THIS COMPASSION IS FROM GOD.

THIS COMPASSION HAS

MIRACLE-WORKING POWER IN IT.

YOU SEE, SOMETIMES WE’RE

LOOKING FOR A MIRACLE, BUT

GOD WANTS YOU TO BE

SOMEONE’S MIRACLE.

HE WANTS YOU TO RELEASE YOUR

INFLUENCE, YOUR POWER,

YOUR LOVE ON THIS EARTH.

JESUS SAID, “THERE WAS TWO

GREAT COMMANDMENTS.

THE FIRST ONE IS, ‘LOVE GOD

WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART,

WITH ALL OF YOUR MIND,

AND WITH ALL OF YOUR SOUL,”

AND HE SAID,

“THE SECOND IS THIS ONE,

AND IT’S JUST LIKE THE FIRST,

‘LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

AS YOURSELF.'”

THERE WAS AN EXPERT IN THE

LAW WHEN JESUS WAS SAYING

THIS SCRIPTURE, AND HE SAID,

“JESUS, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO

KNOW WHO MY NEIGHBOR IS?

WHAT CLASSIFIES A NEIGHBOR?

WHO AM I SUPPOSED TO LOVE

LIKE I WOULD LOVE MYSELF?”

AND JESUS TOLD A PARABLE,

TOLD A PARABLE ABOUT A MAN

WHO WAS WALKING TO JERICHO.

A BAND OF ROBBERS CAME AND

ATTACKED HIM, BEAT HIM,

BRUISED HIM,

STOLED ALL HE HAD,

AND LEFT HIM ON THE SIDE

OF THE ROAD FOR DEAD.

A PRIEST CAME BY,

SAW THE MAN, WENT TO

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD,

AND WALKED PAST HIM.

YOU SEE, WE CAN’T BE

TOO BUSY TO NOTICE.

YOU SEE, IT DOESN’T

DISQUALIFY US BECAUSE WE

GO TO THE OTHER SIDE.

A LEVITE MAN, PROBABLY

ASSISTANT TO THE PRIEST,

THEY HAD SOMETHING TO DO

AND SOMEWHERE TO GO,

HE SAW THE MAN.

THE SCRIPTURE SAYS THAT “HE

WALKED TO THE OTHER SIDE OF

THE STREET AND KEPT ON HIS

WAY, TOTALLY IGNORING

THE WOUNDED MAN.”

BUT THEN THERE WAS

A SAMARITAN.

HE WAS WALKING DOWN THE ROAD,

SAID, “WHAT IS THAT

ON THE STREET?”

LOOKED OVER THERE, AND IT WAS

A MAN, WOUNDED, LAYING THERE

BLEEDING, ABOUT TO DIE.

THE BIBLE SAYS THAT

HE BANDAGED HIM UP,

TOOK CARE OF HIM,

PUT HIM ON HIS ANIMAL,

TOOK HIM TO AN INN, GAVE THE

INNKEEPER MONEY AND SAID,

“HEY, CAN YOU HELP ME TAKE

CARE OF THIS GUY?

I’LL GIVE YOU MONEY.

I’M GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE,

BUT I’LL COME BACK,

AND I’LL PAY ANY EXPENSES

THAT YOU’VE OCCURRED

FROM HELPING HIM.”

YOU SEE, WE’RE ALL BUSY.

EVEN THAT MAN MUST

HAVE BEEN BUSY.

HE HAD TO LEAVE

TO TAKE CARE OF SOMETHING,

BUT HE SAID, “LOOK.”

HE REACHED OUT AND SAID, “IF

YOU’LL HELP ME HELP THIS MAN,

I’LL GIVE YOU

WHAT YOU NEED.”

JESUS SAID TO THE EXPERT OF

THE LAW, “WHICH ONE OF THESE

THREE MEN DO YOU THINK WAS

A NEIGHBOR TO THIS GUY?”

THE EXPERT OF THE LAW SAID,

“THE ONE WHO SHOWED MERCY,”

AND HE SAID, “THAT’S RIGHT.”

HE SAID, “NOW YOU GO AND DO

THE SAME, DO THE SAME.”

JESUS IS SAYING,

“YOU GO AND DO THE SAME.

HAVE MERCY, OPEN YOUR HEART

OF COMPASSION.

LET ME WORK THROUGH YOU.

LET ME USE YOU

IN A POWERFUL WAY.

DON’T WORRY ABOUT TRYING

TO DO IT YOURSELF.

UNDERSTAND THAT THE FLOW OF

COMPASSION, THE DIVINE LOVE

THAT I’M POURING OUT

HAS POWER IN ITSELF.”

YOU SEE, ABOUT EIGHT YEARS

AGO, I LIVED NEXT DOOR

TO A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY.

IT WAS A WIFE AND A HUSBAND

AND TWO BEAUTIFUL YOUNG

GIRLS, AND THE WIFE WAS MY

AGE, AND SHE CAME DOWN WITH

CANCER, AND SHE EVENTUALLY

DIED OF CANCER.

I WENT TO THE FUNERAL,

AND I BEGAN TO TALK

TO THE YOUNG GIRLS,

AND THEY WERE SO PRECIOUS.

MY HEART WENT OUT TO THEM,

AND SO I BECAME FRIENDS

WITH THE OLDER GIRL.

SHE WAS PROBABLY ONLY

12 YEARS OLD, BUT I TOLD HER

HOW MUCH I LOVED HER

AND THAT I’LL DO ANYTHING

FOR ‘EM.

I’M RIGHT NEXT DOOR.

AND INVITED HER TO CHURCH,

AND SHE CAME TO CHURCH

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS

AND LOVED IT SO MUCH.

BUT SHORTLY AFTER THAT

HER FAMILY MOVED AWAY,

AND I LOST TOUCH.

LIFE GETS BUSY.

I DIDN’T KNOW WHERE

THEY MOVED TO.

YOU KNOW, JUST ABOUT

THREE DAYS AGO,

I WAS PUTTING ON MY MAKEUP,

GETTING READY FOR THE DAY,

GETTING READY TO GO OUT,

AND SOMETHING IN MY HEART

JUST THOUGHT ABOUT THIS GIRL.

NOW, I THOUGHT ABOUT,

“WHERE IS THAT YOUNG GIRL?”

I BEGAN TO THINK ABOUT HER

JUST RIGHT OUT OF THE BLUE.

I WASN’T THINKING ABOUT HER.

IT JUST CAME INTO MY HEART.

I DON’T KNOW WHY GOD PUT THAT

IN MY HEART AFTER EIGHT LONG

YEARS, BUT I REALLY FEEL LIKE

THAT IT WAS HIS DIVINE FLOW

OF LOVE FOR THIS GIRL,

AND I BEGAN TO PRAY FOR HER.

I BEGAN TO SAY, “LORD,

I DON’T KNOW WHERE SHE IS,

BUT YOU KNOW WHERE

SHE IS, GOD.

I’M ASKING YOU, WHATEVER SHE

NEEDS, FATHER, MEET EVERY

NEED THAT SHE HAS.

GIVE HER WISDOM, GOD.

IF THERE’S ANYTHING COMING

AGAINST HER, FATHER, JUST

STOP THAT SCHEME RIGHT NOW,

IN JESUS’S NAME,”

AND I BEGAN TO PRAY FOR HER

AND PRAY FOR HER,

AND THAT COMPASSION JUST

CAME UP OUT OF ME,

AND I CONTINUED TO PRAY.

I TOLD JOEL LATER, I SAID,

“YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE.

GOD PUT THIS IN MY HEART.

I DON’T KNOW WHAT ALL HE

WANTS ME TO DO WITH IT,

BUT I’M GOING TO TRY

TO REACH OUT TO HER.”

SO I TRIED TO LOOK

HER UP ON FACEBOOK

AND I COULDN’T FIND HER.

SO I’VE ASKED A COUPLE

FRIENDS, “HEY, DO YOU

REMEMBER THIS FAMILY?

IF YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE,

COULD YOU TELL ME OR GET IN

TOUCH WITH THEM AND LET THEM

KNOW THAT I AM THINKING ABOUT

THEM, AND ONE IN PARTICULAR,

THE GIRLS.

COULD THEY MAYBE REACH

BACK AND TOUCH ME,

OR GIVE ME THEIR NUMBER

AND I’LL TOUCH THEM?”

YOU SEE, MY HEART OF

COMPASSION WAS THERE.

IT’S NOT JUST ENOUGH TO FEEL

SORRY FOR THOSE GIRLS BECAUSE

THEY LOST THEIR PARENTS.

I WANT TO MOVE

IN THIS COMPASSION.

I WANT TO MOVE OUT IN THIS

COMPASSION, BECAUSE I THINK

TO MYSELF, “WHAT IF

IT WAS MY CHILDREN?

WHAT IF IT WAS MY SON

AND MY DAUGHTER,

AND I LEFT THIS EARTH,

AND SOMEONE THOUGHT

ABOUT THEM,

BUT THAT’S ALL THEY DID

WAS THINK ABOUT THEM?”

I WOULD SO WANT SOMEONE TO

REACH OUT AND TOUCH THEM, TO

PRAY FOR THEM, AND YOU SEE,

GOD MAY PUT SOME PEOPLE

ON YOUR HEART.

MAYBE YOU’VE THOUGHT

ABOUT SOME PEOPLE.

MAYBE YOUR SPOUSE WAS SAYING

SOME THINGS YOU DIDN’T

RECOGNIZE YESTERDAY,

BUT TODAY YOU THINK,

“WOW, THEY WERE HURTING.”

LISTEN, GOD WANTS YOU TO ACT

ON THAT COMPASSION.

YOU SEE A CO-WORKER AT WORK

SITTING ACROSS THE ROOM AND

YOU JUST, YOU FEEL LIKE, “OH,

MAN, GOLLY, I KIND OF FEEL

SORRY FOR THEM.”

RECOGNIZE THAT’S GOD.

HE’S SAYING, “MOVE, MOVE,

REACH OUT.”

YOU’LL NEVER KNOW THE IMPACT

OF WHAT A PHONE CALL CAN DO,

OR THE SIGNIFICANCE OF

SOMEONE, OF YOUR WORDS SAYING

TO SOMEONE, “HEY,

I’M THINKING ABOUT YOU.

I CARE ABOUT YOU.

I LOVE YOU.

HEY, YOU’RE GOING TO MAKE IT.

I’M PRAYING FOR YOU.”

YOU SEE, THOSE SIMPLE WORDS

OF HOPE CAN TURN SOMEONE’S

LIFE AROUND, CAN OPEN BLIND

EYES AND GIVE THEM

A NEW PERSPECTIVE,

CAN HEAL A HEART AND CHANGE

THE COURSE OF THEIR DESTINY.

YOU SEE, GOD HAS CALLED US

TO MOVE OUT IN COMPASSION,

TO BE THE HANDS

AND THE FEET OF JESUS.

SO, TODAY LET’S PRAY, “GOD,

OPEN THAT HEART

OF COMPASSION.

LET ME SEE HURTING PEOPLE

AROUND ME.

YEAH, I MAY HAVE TO STOP

WHAT I’M DOING.

I MAY HAVE TO TAKE SOME TIME,

MAYBE EVEN SOME MONEY, BUT,

GOD, I KNOW THAT WHEN I’M

SOMEONE’S MIRACLE, YOU WILL

MAKE SURE I GET ALL

THE MIRACLES THAT I NEED,”

AMEN?

WHEN YOU’RE FOLLOWING LOVE

AND COMPASSION, YOU’RE

FOLLOWING GOD, AMEN?

AMEN, HE’S AN AWESOME GOD.