Dear Holy Spirit

🔥14 | Empathy

Dear Holy Spirit,

Now I understand why I need to go through that seemingly dark and ugly process.

You wanted me to be more compassionate with people. You wanted me to be more understanding and patient and kind. You wanted me to be a loving listener.

I admit there were times I acted selfishly. When I choose not to care and be self-centered. I only tried to process what I felt without trying to understand people from their perspective.

I had so much to say, so much I could have brought up, so much hurt I bottled up.

Yet instead of venting it out to them, You taught me to be a little more patient, a little more kind, a little more like Christ.

My struggle was real. My feelings were valid. And so are theirs.

I told You I was tired of being selfless. But now I realized, it's more tiring to be selfish.

Holy Spirit, I pray that You let me share with Your compassion for people because I cannot do this alone.

I have the tendency of seeking my own welfare instead of theirs. To put myself first instead of others. To reason out why I couldn't be there for them.

I know it takes time to be good at this. To be empathetic. I may come across as forced, rehearsed or insincere. But with You, I can do this. I just have to be more intentional in reaching out.

Holy Spirit, I was so distracted with many things that I forgot to love people like how Jesus loves them.

I thought to myself, "what would I get from loving them?" But then again, when Jesus shed His blood on the cross just to save me from death, what would He get from me? I mean, He has everything. Yet He sacrificed His own life. And it was all because of love.

Love.

How could I grow so familiar with this that I neglect practicing it?

Holy Spirit, please teach me to love people even when they reject me, persecute me, neglect me, misunderstand me, accuse me, threaten me, forget me, step on me, curse at me and even when they take my love for granted.

Only You can do it. Please, my Lord.

Send help.