Zechariah 7:9-10

Thus has the Lord of hosts said, “Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion to each other; and do not oppress or exploit the widow and fatherless, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise or even imagine evil in your hearts against one another. 

Every day, we are called to practice compassion, kindness, and dispense true justice toward one another. When we walk in integrity and remove the evil from our hearts, we will not selfishly exploit the widow, fatherless, stranger, or poor. When we keep a guard over our hearts and refuse to accept evil as good, our lives and the lives of those around us will flourish. 

2 Timothy 2:24

The servant of the Lord must not participate in quarrels, but must be kind to everyone (even tempered, preserving peace, and he must be), skilled in teaching, patient and tolerant when wronged. 

Quarrels matter to God because they interfere with the ability to hear from God. Strife doesn’t bring peace but clouds the mind with fears and anger. Patience, kindness, and choosing not to let our peace be disturbed by the enemy qualify a person to serve the Lord. Our skill in teaching relies on our Bible knowledge and willingness to be used by God whenever we hear the call. 

Isaiah 30:18

Therefore, the Lord waits (expectantly) and longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed (happy, fortunate) are all those who long for Him (since He will never fail them).

When we turn away from a dead-end path, and when we come to the end of ourselves and realize we don’t have all the answers. The Lord waits for us and longs to be gracious to us. God waits, wanting to express compassion and salvation to those who are lost, in need of help, and seeking comfort. God will not fail.

Matthew 9:36

When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion and pity for them, because they were dispirited and distressed, like sheep without a shepherd.

Think of moments in our lives when Jesus has sent someone or provided for us when we were distressed. We are to represent Jesus and have compassion on others. Love doesn’t operate in isolation! God has shared love for mankind through Jesus. We are to walk in the same compassion for the lost, dispirited, and distressed just as Jesus did when He was here on earth.  

Colossians 3:12

So, as God’s own chosen people, who are holy (set apart, sanctified for His purpose) and well-beloved (by God Himself), put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (which has the power to endure whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes, with good temper).

This world is not saved and is motivated by evil thoughts, feelings, and desires. Christians are set apart and are to live lives that are opposite to the world. When we operate from a heart of compassion, kindness, patience, and gentleness, we will attract people to Christ. There will be times when unpleasantness comes, and we need to practice endurance because we have been given the power.

Ephesians 4:2-3

With all humility (forsaking self-righteousness) and gentleness (maintaining self-control) with patience, bearing with one another in (unselfish) love. Make every effort to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace (each individual working together to make the whole world successful).

Paul is addressing the church on how to treat one another. He reminds us that there may be friction in our relationships with other people in the church. We are to keep a bond of peace and love. Everyone has things going on in their lives that affect behavior. 

Ephesians 4:1

So I, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to you to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called (that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior-a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation).

If we are surface Christians, we will not be mindful of what we say, act, or do. In short, we will behave just like the world. We are to exhibit godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior. A person seeking salvation needs to see our representation as authentic. Otherwise, salvation and Jesus will not represent a better way. 

Psalm 73:26

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the rock and strength of my heart and my portion forever.

God never intends us to pushes ourselves to the breaking point. God wants to be the rock and strength of our hearts. When we go beyond God we go beyond His plans for our lives. We stress ourselves trying to climb a mountain that was never the plan in the first place. 

Matthew 25:32-33

All the nations will be gathered before Him (for judgement); and He will separate them from one another, as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right (the place of honor) and the goats on His left (the place of rejection).

As Christians we know judgement is coming. There are others who do not know the Lord or the hope of Salvation. Why we are still here on this earth we can pray for the lost and reach out to those we know who are not saved. We can be kind and not act like the world. We can show love when others hate as we represent Jesus here on earth. 

John 8:30

Jesus answered, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, everyone who practices sin habitually is a slave to sin.

Sin will put a hook into the flesh and the soul to keep a person trapped and tormented. A person will find it harder to draw near to God the deeper they go into sin. Sin hinders God hearing our prayers. The bible says flee from sin because the life depends on it. It does! Repent quickly of any sin and get right back under the protection of God.