Monday: Compassion Fatigue
Resisting the possibility of letting our good intentions be overwhelmed by “all the trouble in the world”, many of us would like to do more to make a difference in the lives of the suffering. There are a number of attitudes and actions that can help us make positive responses to those in need.
Compassion: As we have seen, recognizing and empathizing with the pain of those who are hurting are first steps toward action. We need to grow and maintain our sensitivity to the suffering.
Compassion
Today, people talk about “compassion fatigue”, the idea that we are so exposed to sorrow and tragedy that many of us become weary of the many causes that call for our emotional energy and financial support. Jesus was keenly aware of the evil and pain around Him; yet, He remained compassionate. So must we.
Education: Because many situations of injustice and poverty are complicated, listening and learning what we can about these situations is important. There have been many examples in which well-intentioned people have caused damage to other people’s lives by trying to help. While this is not an excuse for inaction, we should seek to get involved in ways that are informed and thoughtful.
Prayer: When we see a problem, our first thought is to take “practical” action. But the Bible reminds us that prayer is practical. We can make a difference in the lives of the poor and oppressed by our prayers for them and for those who have power over them (see 1 Tim. 2:1-2), as well as seeking God’s guidance for how we can best respond further in offering help (see Prov. 2:7-8).
Expectations: Another important element in working to alleviate suffering is to have proper expectations, given the complexity of social, political, and personal circumstances. Our hope should be to give people choices and opportunities that they might not have had otherwise. Sometimes what people do with these opportunities will disappoint us, but we must respect those choices. In whatever way we might try to work in behalf of the suffering, our guiding principle must be to “do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matt. 7:12, NIV).
| Read James 1:5-8. What role should prayer play in Christian action? What does James 2:15-16 suggest about how we can contribute to answering our prayers for others? |
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Giving to charity has become big business and all too often such charities are poorly managed and have high overheads. It is not uncommon for less than 50 cents in the dollar to end up in the hands of the cause. It makes you wonder who is being helped the most, the needy or the organisers!
Carmel and I have made it a rule not to give to any charity that seeks donations over the phone. Many of them are lottery systems and far too many of them are scams. We donate only to causes that we have done our homework on and have checked their bona fides. The state of the charity business highlights the fact that the best gift you can give is your own personal time to people you know.
Peter had the right idea about charity. “Enabling” is more important than donating.
After seeing the devastation in the Bahamas following hurricane Dorian, I have been thinking about helping. When I retrieved my mail on Friday there was an appeal from ADRA for hurricane Dorian relief efforts including a promise to match funds $2 for $1 given until $100,000 was reached. The organization that is matching funds is Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Has anyone else received this mailing?
Yes, and I responded to it. Such a very sad situation in the Bahamas. I doubt it will come back to full function after this on the islands that were hit the hardest. Praying our church and other relief efforts will stabilized a very chaotic situation and help toward healing.
We need compassion because life is hard. We are all susceptible to diseases and injuries.
Tomorrow is not guaranteed for any of us.
The benefit of being compassionate helps us to be more happy and brings happiness for the people all around us.
However, if you're not careful, you could end up hurting yourself.
Caring for a child or adult family member at home may be even more susceptible to compassion fatigue.
It is not uncommon for those who are constantly concerned with the needs of others to wind up neglecting their own.
When my father was ill in the last years of his life. We as a family wrapped ourselves around caring for him.
Six months after his death, my sister had a severe stomach pain and ended up in the hospital and all the tests were negative.
The conclusion was she was too stressed and she needed rest and care.
How do you overcome such fatigue?
Talk to someone who would listen. When you begin to talk, you will realize this feeling is normal.
Talking about it helps us to unload our burden.
When my father passed away, we were afraid to talk openly because we felt we could hurt each other which led to internal sickness.
Many of us feel we cannot say, NO.
Knowing and understanding our limitation is integral part of staying healthy and being around longer to help others.
Know when to pull back - retreat, regroup, and re-engage
If you're getting burned out, it does not matter how passionate a cause it might be, you will not be around.
Church is one place were people can easily get burned out because we feel it's important for us to serve.
In my experience I have seen people leave a position they held for years and then slowly slipped away never to be found.
By reading the postings by Maurice Ashton, I gather that he teaches but when he gets an opportunity, he is out in the open studying the birds.
His activity totally disengages him from the toils of being in the confinements of the classroom.. Spending time in nature pens our mind to experience God.
Now, he can engage in the classroom with new fervor and strength. .
The bible calls us to comfort each other. As Christian His promise propels us forward.
this is powerful, i love the points you highlighted mr Devaraj. May God bless you.
There is no need to be out and far of our own way to help others. We always have something we can share. Our best prayer may be sharing!
We do not “always” need to go out of our way to help others....
ADRA is a good place to put your money. My husband and I worked for them for a total of 22 and a half years. Their overhead is small and your donation will go a long ways. Yes we need more compassion for others. God expects his children to fulfill the needs of others in our world. If we all did our part we would not have so many people dying of starvation and dirty water. Maranatha is another good place to donate. God bless us all
May we consider adding an aspect to “Expectations”? Proverbs suggests that many hands make light work. Is there also room for making sure that we follow the laws of physics pertaining to Rest...physical, mental/psychological and spiritual? Perhaps that will allow us to be “perfectly” compassionate?
Compassion fatigue will only be overcome when we are solidly connected to the Vine, Who was all about compassion. Maintaining a healthy connection with Jesus will help alleviate any fatigue we may sustain in our helping of others. I liked the suggestions in this day's lesson. They are important to keep in mind so we don't unnecessarily "burn out."
Without that connection our compassion fatigue could move to coldness of heart due to iniquity abounding. I pray we all keep looking to Jesus and learn from Him as to how to offer our compassion in the most constructive and helpful ways.