Romans 13:8-10
Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.
Reggie Joiner says, “Empathy is pressing pause on your thoughts and feelings to consider someone else's thoughts and feelings.”
Empathy is not rejecting a person or agreeing with a decision they’ve made. Empathy is acknowledging a person’s reality. Specifically, it’s acknowledging their reality so you can point them to the ideal.
People find and follow Jesus better in community than isolation. When we empathize with people, we can start pointing them to Jesus.
Pray and ask God for help in showing more empathy toward people, knowing that empathy isn’t approval, but it’s modeling the love of Jesus.