Expanding Through Emptying: The Power of Compassion

 

Summary

In today's reflection, we explore the profound truth that to truly expand ourselves, we must first empty ourselves. This paradoxical journey of self-expansion through self-emptying is rooted in the teachings of Jesus and exemplified by the life of Cicely Saunders. Saunders, a woman who transformed her own pain into a mission of compassion, founded the modern hospice movement. Her story illustrates how personal suffering can either lead to bitterness or open us up to the suffering of others, allowing us to use our experiences to bring healing and comfort.

Cicely Saunders' life was a testament to the power of kindness and compassion. Despite her own challenges, she dedicated her life to creating spaces where people could die with dignity and love. Her philosophy, "You matter just because you're you," underscores the intrinsic value of every individual, a belief that fueled her groundbreaking work in hospice care. Her legacy is a reminder that our acts of kindness, no matter how small, can have a ripple effect, touching lives in ways we may never fully comprehend.

The call to be kind and compassionate is not just a moral obligation but a pathway to personal growth. By making space for others in our lives, we paradoxically expand our own capacity for love and joy. This is beautifully illustrated in the biblical story of David and Mephibosheth, where David's kindness to Jonathan's descendant reflects the deep interconnectedness of human relationships.

As we internalize the needs and dreams of others, we begin to see them as part of our own selves. This is the essence of loving our neighbor as ourselves. It is through this self-emptying that we truly grow, as we align our lives with the example of Jesus, who emptied himself for the sake of others.

Today, I invite you to live with kindness and compassion. Take a moment to pray for someone in your life, lifting them into God's presence. Let your life become a hospice for those around you, offering love and care to those who are living and dying in your midst. Change starts today.

Key Takeaways:

1. Self-Expansion Through Self-Emptying: True growth comes from making space for others in our lives. By emptying ourselves of ego and self-centered desires, we create room for the dreams and needs of others, leading to personal expansion. [07:58]

2. The Power of Kindness and Compassion: Acts of kindness, no matter how small, can have a profound impact. Cicely Saunders' life demonstrates how compassion can transform personal pain into a mission that changes the world. [05:20]

3. Intrinsic Value of Every Individual: Embracing the belief that every person matters simply because they exist can guide us in our interactions, fostering a culture of dignity and respect. [03:03]

4. Interconnectedness of Human Relationships: The story of David and Mephibosheth highlights the importance of showing kindness to others, recognizing that our lives are deeply intertwined with those around us. [06:28]

5. Prayer as a Tool for Compassion: Lifting others in prayer is a powerful way to express love and concern, inviting God's presence into their lives and allowing us to carry their burdens with them. [10:02]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:10] - The Paradox of Self-Expansion
- [00:24] - Change Starts Today
- [00:57] - Be Kind and Compassionate
- [01:25] - The Origin of Hospice
- [01:54] - Cicely Saunders' Journey
- [02:49] - A Vision for Dignity in Dying
- [03:30] - Love and Legacy
- [04:18] - The Impact of Hospice
- [05:07] - Personal Stories of Kindness
- [06:14] - Biblical Kindness: David and Mephibosheth
- [07:01] - Internalizing Another's Self
- [07:58] - The Expansion of Self
- [08:53] - Invitation to Kindness and Prayer
- [11:19] - Living as a Hospice for Others
- [11:48] - Closing and Invitation to Connect

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Ephesians 4:32 - "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
2. Philippians 2:5-7 - "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."

Observation Questions:
1. What does Ephesians 4:32 suggest about the nature of kindness and compassion? How are these qualities linked to forgiveness? [00:57]
2. How did Cicely Saunders' personal experiences of pain influence her mission and work in hospice care? [02:07]
3. In the story of David and Mephibosheth, what motivated David to show kindness to Mephibosheth? [06:28]
4. According to the sermon, what is the paradoxical relationship between self-emptying and self-expansion? [07:58]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How might the instruction in Ephesians 4:32 to be kind and compassionate challenge common societal values of self-promotion and individualism? [00:57]
2. What does the example of Jesus' self-emptying in Philippians 2:5-7 teach about the nature of true leadership and service? [08:28]
3. How does Cicely Saunders' belief that "you matter just because you're you" reflect the intrinsic value of every individual as seen in the Bible? [03:03]
4. In what ways does the story of David and Mephibosheth illustrate the interconnectedness of human relationships? [06:28]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you experienced kindness or compassion from someone. How did it impact you, and how can you replicate that in your interactions this week? [05:20]
2. Consider the concept of self-emptying for the sake of others. What is one area of your life where you can make more space for someone else's needs or dreams? [07:58]
3. Identify a person in your life who might be in need of compassion or kindness. What specific action can you take this week to show them they matter? [03:03]
4. How can you incorporate the practice of lifting others in prayer into your daily routine? Choose one person to pray for this week and consider how you might support them practically. [10:02]
5. Reflect on the idea of living as a "hospice" for those around you. What changes can you make in your home or community to create a space of love and care? [11:19]
6. How can you apply the lesson of interconnectedness from David and Mephibosheth's story to strengthen your relationships with family or friends? [06:28]
7. What steps can you take to align your mindset with that of Christ Jesus, as described in Philippians 2:5-7, in your daily interactions? [08:28]

Devotional

Day 1: Self-Expansion Through Self-Emptying
True growth comes from making space for others in our lives. By emptying ourselves of ego and self-centered desires, we create room for the dreams and needs of others, leading to personal expansion. This concept is deeply rooted in the teachings of Jesus, who exemplified self-emptying by prioritizing the needs of others over His own. The life of Cicely Saunders, who founded the modern hospice movement, serves as a powerful illustration of this principle. Despite her own pain, she chose to focus on the suffering of others, transforming her personal struggles into a mission of compassion and care. Her story reminds us that when we let go of our self-centered desires, we open ourselves to a greater capacity for love and joy, ultimately leading to personal growth and fulfillment. [07:58]

Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV): "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Reflection: Identify one area in your life where you can make space for someone else's needs or dreams. How can you begin to prioritize their well-being over your own desires today?


Day 2: The Power of Kindness and Compassion
Acts of kindness, no matter how small, can have a profound impact. Cicely Saunders' life demonstrates how compassion can transform personal pain into a mission that changes the world. Her philosophy, "You matter just because you're you," underscores the intrinsic value of every individual and fueled her groundbreaking work in hospice care. By choosing to respond to her own suffering with empathy and action, she created spaces where people could die with dignity and love. Her legacy is a testament to the ripple effect of kindness, showing that our actions can touch lives in ways we may never fully comprehend. [05:20]

Proverbs 11:17 (ESV): "A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself."

Reflection: Think of a small act of kindness you can perform today for someone in your life. How might this act create a ripple effect of compassion and change?


Day 3: Intrinsic Value of Every Individual
Embracing the belief that every person matters simply because they exist can guide us in our interactions, fostering a culture of dignity and respect. This principle was central to Cicely Saunders' work in hospice care, where she emphasized the importance of treating each person with love and dignity, regardless of their circumstances. By recognizing the intrinsic value of every individual, we are called to see beyond external appearances and appreciate the unique worth of each person. This perspective challenges us to treat others with kindness and respect, acknowledging their inherent value as human beings. [03:03]

James 2:8-9 (ESV): "If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors."

Reflection: Reflect on how you view and treat those who are different from you. How can you begin to see and affirm the intrinsic value in every person you encounter today?


Day 4: Interconnectedness of Human Relationships
The story of David and Mephibosheth highlights the importance of showing kindness to others, recognizing that our lives are deeply intertwined with those around us. David's kindness to Jonathan's descendant reflects the deep interconnectedness of human relationships and the impact of our actions on others. By internalizing the needs and dreams of others, we begin to see them as part of our own selves, embodying the essence of loving our neighbor as ourselves. This interconnectedness calls us to be mindful of how our actions affect those around us and to cultivate relationships rooted in kindness and compassion. [06:28]

1 Samuel 20:14-15 (ESV): "If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the Lord, that I may not die; and do not cut off your steadfast love from my house forever, when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth."

Reflection: Consider a relationship in your life that may need healing or strengthening. How can you show kindness and compassion to this person, recognizing the interconnectedness of your lives?


Day 5: Prayer as a Tool for Compassion
Lifting others in prayer is a powerful way to express love and concern, inviting God's presence into their lives and allowing us to carry their burdens with them. Prayer becomes a tool for compassion, enabling us to support others spiritually and emotionally. By praying for those in our lives, we create a space of love and care, much like a hospice, where individuals can find comfort and peace. This practice not only benefits those we pray for but also expands our own capacity for empathy and connection, aligning our hearts with God's love for all people. [10:02]

Colossians 1:9-10 (ESV): "And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."

Reflection: Choose one person in your life to pray for today. How can you lift them into God's presence and support them through prayer, inviting His love and peace into their life?

Quotes


We all have a tendency to want to expand ourselves to grow more competent to expand our knowledge to expand our skills to expand our love and our care for other people and our joy but here's the strange thing actually in order to expand ourselves we have to empty ourselves and make space for another person for that person's dreams for that person's life for what that person is going through. [00:00:00]

It's a strange thing when you go through pain yourself it can either make you self-obsessed and cause you to become bitter and shut off from other people or can open you up and make you recognize other people are going through pain and maybe I could use some of what I had been through to be helpful to other people. [00:19:40]

One of her part of her philosophy of life was you matter just because you're you and you matter until the last moment of your life and she saw how people increasingly were suffering in isolation in great pain the approach to pain management was quite different then and particularly when people were in a terminal situation they would have to often almost be screaming in pain to get help. [00:29:00]

And so she got this Vision to create a place where people could be given love and care as bet as well as the best kind of scientific research-based medicine and so and then she actually fell in love with a patient that was dying his name was David and he had escaped from the Warsaw Ghetto in World War II. [00:33:39]

And today all around the world many many of us will have family members maybe grandparents or parents who experienced Hospice Care often when you look at accounts of folks when they have died and their families expressing gratitude they will thank the hospice workers all of that is traced to the kindness and compassion of one follower of Jesus named Cicely Saunders. [00:50:30]

Think about the story in the Old Testament of David where he was grateful for his friendship to Jonathan and he asked is there anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake and he finds out about one descendant of Jonathan a lame man named Mephibosheth and in a very moving story he pours out kindness to him. [00:56:19]

Now people who do research on this so interesting say that we all have a tendency to want to expand ourselves to grow more competent to expand our knowledge to expand our skills to expand our love and our care for other people and our joy but here's the strange thing actually in order to expand ourselves we have to empty ourselves and make space for another person for that person's dreams for that person's life for what that person is going through. [01:17:46]

Paradoxically the more than I make space for that other person the more I end up expanding my own self and I think about this there's a famous passage in the book of Philippians where it says about Jesus that he emptied himself and theologians would have big debates on what did he empty himself off did he get rid of his omniscience or his omnipresence. [01:21:19]

I want you to think of one other person somebody that you care about somebody that's in your life maybe you know them well maybe not maybe there's somebody that you're not deeply acquainted with but bring their face and their body into your mind and lift them into God's presence my wife says sometimes she'll offer kind of a dandelion prayer just just this person's name this person's face and you lift them up to God. [01:31:00]

God thank you that this person exists and then this prayer these thoughts God would you bless him or her that means God worked for good in their life bless and keep means to strengthen their inner being to guard them both from Outer as well as inner dangers protecting God bless and keep would you make your face to shine upon him or her. [01:36:00]

May you lift up your countenance upon them you know it's just to look right at him God would you watch over them today and give them peace and you carry that prayer in your heart today maybe for everybody you see kind and compassionate make your life a little hospice for the people living and dying all around you change starts today. [01:42:00]

Hey I'm Tim thanks for joining us before you leave you can subscribe to this Channel or like this video or comment on the video we love to read those comments we read them every day so we'd love to hear from you there if you'd like to receive the emails that go along with each video you can let us know at become new.com subscribe or if you have a prayer request we would love to pray for you you can text that request to 855-88-0444 see you next time. [01:48:00]

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Transcript
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