As Christians, our compassion is simply a response to the love

Hear the heartfelt words of Steven Curtis Chapman, singer of faith and teller of truth, who proclaimed: “As Christians, our compassion is simply a response to the love that God has already shown us.” In this saying lies the essence of Christian mercy. Compassion is not an invention of our own hearts, nor an act performed to display virtue, but the natural overflow of a greater love—one that first descended from God to humanity. Just as rivers flow from mountains, so does our compassion flow from the eternal love that gave us life, salvation, and hope.

The meaning of this saying lies in the foundation of the Christian story. For the Scriptures declare: “We love because He first loved us.” Humanity, broken and undeserving, was shown mercy through the sacrifice of Christ. It is this divine act of love—costly, undeserved, and boundless—that awakens in the believer a heart of compassion for others. When we forgive, we echo His forgiveness. When we comfort, we mirror His comfort. When we serve, we remember that He first served us. Thus, compassion is not a duty imposed from without, but a response born from gratitude.

Consider the example of Saint Francis of Assisi, who, after a life of wealth and pleasure, encountered the love of God in a vision of Christ crucified. He turned away from worldly riches and devoted himself to serving the poor, the sick, and the outcast. His compassion was not a hollow charity, but the radiant response of a soul overwhelmed by divine love. To care for lepers, to live among beggars, to embrace poverty—these acts were his way of reflecting outward the love he himself had received. Chapman’s words find their echo in Francis: compassion springs from love already bestowed.

We see this truth also in the story of Corrie ten Boom, a woman who endured the terrors of a Nazi concentration camp. After the war, when confronted by one of her former captors, she felt her heart resist forgiveness. Yet remembering the boundless forgiveness she herself had received from Christ, she chose to forgive him. Her compassion was not natural—it was supernatural, a direct response to the immeasurable grace she had already known. Such stories remind us that Christian compassion is not rooted in our strength, but in the strength of God’s love flowing through us.

The emotional force of Chapman’s quote is that it humbles the believer. We do not act compassionately to exalt ourselves, to earn merit, or to appear righteous. We act because we remember. We remember the depths from which God’s mercy rescued us, and in remembering, we cannot help but extend mercy to others. To deny compassion is to deny the very love that saved us. To offer it freely is to proclaim to the world that God’s love is alive within us.

The lesson for us is this: to cultivate compassion, we must first meditate on the love of God. Reflect daily on the patience He has shown you, the mercies renewed each morning, the forgiveness that knows no end. Then, when faced with the weakness, sins, or sufferings of others, let that memory shape your response. Do not ask, “Do they deserve my compassion?” Instead, remember how God showed you compassion when you did not deserve it, and act from that remembrance.

So, children of faith and seekers of truth, let this wisdom guide your days: compassion is not a burden but a song of gratitude, not a duty but a response. Live each moment as an echo of divine love, letting your actions bear witness to the mercy you have received. For as Steven Curtis Chapman declared, “Our compassion is simply a response to the love that God has already shown us.” And in that response lies the very heart of the Christian life.