James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

I began the year with simplicity. I have tried to bring the gospel to the world in simple terms. For some of my readers it has been needful. For others a reminder. For some it has been a new way to look at an old subject. I have spent these later works in examining lies of the enemy.

This past week I have been recovering from cornea transplant surgery. I have relied solely upon devotionals that were written weeks ago. Now as my eye sight is improving I am looking over the remaining three issues of lies and have rejected them, putting them in the trash.

I have done this primarily because of James 3:17. The words of those three devotions do not measure up to the standards of wisdom prescribed there. Does that mean what I wrote was untrue? No. They strayed from the mission I set out to hold onto for this year. I strayed from simplicity and began to drift into old habits.

Drifting back into old habits is easy to do when you have changed. Becoming a new creation is unfamiliar territory. Growth in Christ is good and necessary but it comes with the same problems of growing up under the instructions of our parents. Sooner or later we are going to have to put into use those things which we have been taught.

Where do we begin? What is next? How do you put what you have learned into action? The answer to this is not much different than in your natural life. You practice upon your family. Your church family is like a natural family. We all have the same Father above, we all have the First Born to look up to as our example. Most importantly we are surrounded by loving brothers and sister who are going thru the same things.

Are you a member of a local church body?

Hebrews 2:8 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

The difference between empathy and compassion is personal experience. Empath means to feel. You can have compassion for others without having felt what that person is going through. Here we see Jesus giving comfort to those who are tempted because He was tempted, empathy.

We go through a lot more in life than just temptation. The feelings that I struggle with, I would like to think Jesus felt that way also, that He understands how I feel. Many times I have heard others say, “You don’t know what it is like.” I’ve uttered those words myself.

I was a drug addict for a season. There is nowhere in the bible that says Jesus was a drug addict. He didn’t have to live with that. He was perfect in all His ways. How could he understand?

John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

I never understood how I could do greater works than my Lord until I understood that I have empathy for drug addicts because I know what it is like. I felt it. I am the vessel of His understanding, having gone through things He could not. Jesus gets to have empathy for them through me, because now I am in Him and He in me and all that I have felt, He feels.

Do not believe the lie that Jesus does not know how you feel. He does because of those who have been through what you have and are now members of the body of Christ, feeling members, empaths.