Empathy is the ability to feel or suffer AS another person.  Empathy comes when we have experienced the pain someone else has felt.  For example, I know what it's like to have your parents die, because both of my parents have died.  When someone's dad or mom dies I can empathize with them.  The "E" in "TEAM, when it comes to building teams to serve together stands for empathy.  Sympathy is a close relative to empathy.  Sympathy is to suffer WITH someone in their pain. I can sympathize with someone who has cancer, but I can't empathize, because I have never experienced cancer in my own life.  God's word tells us, "Live in harmony with one another.  Be sympathetic." 1 Peter 3:8 (NIV)

In order to live in harmony with one another, we must learn to sympathize and empathize when others experience pain.  Having said that, we CAN learn to sympathize and empathize, but at a deeper level sympathy and empathy come from the Holy Spirit's leadership in our lives.  No one has sympathy and empathy for us as much as Jesus does.  If we want to sympathize and empathize with others at the deepest level, we must let Jesus--that is His Spirit--touch our hearts, soften them, and move us to heart felt sympathy and empathy.

One of the times when I most felt sympathy in my life, was many years ago when Nancy went through a miscarriage with our first child.  I was sitting in the hospital by myself, and Nancy had been taken for some minor surgery after the miscarriage.  I looked up and the senior pastor from the church I served was walking toward me.  He gave me a hug and then he said, "Let's pray."  He started to pray, and I have no idea what he said, but what I remember is in the middle of the prayer he broke down.  He choked back tears.  That was sympathy!  He hurt with me.  He had never gone through the same thing, but he felt deep pain for me and with me. 

The closer we get to Jesus the more we will demonstrate sympathy and empathy toward others, because over time we become more and more like the ones with whom we invest (or spend) our time.  Take a moment right now to consider two things: 1)  With whom do you invest (spend) most of your time?  2) Who do you know who needs you to come alongside them in sympathy or empathy right now?  If you take some time in responding to those two questions, and then act on the implications of them, you WILL become more sympathetic and empathetic, and that means you'll be a better team member in God's family!

Let's pray:  Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your lovingkindness--your sympathy and empathy--toward us!  Fill us with Your Holy Spirit that we may extend that same lovingkindness to others.  This we pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.