In the Bible, God sets forth a picture of the estate of sin and misery that all men are in but then proclaims the remarkable way in which He has shown compassion upon human beings by providing a way out of their misery through Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 10:13). Sometimes biblical counselors are (falsely) accused of lacking compassion. But they should recognize that, above all else, they must counsel in God's presence in ways that honor Him. Therefore they must compassionately counsel people who come to them suffering from the ravages of sin.

A central concern of this book then is to search the biblical record to discover what compassion is, the place it ought to have in counseling, and how it is to be shown to others. True compassion involves taking the time to learn what God has to say about human difficulties and how He expects us to confront them. Are you a genuine biblical counselor who "rejoices with those who rejoice and weeps with those who weep" (Romans 12:15)?

Compassion can be studied, understood, encouraged, and directed, but it cannot be generated. This book has no such power. Yet, it is my hope that this book may assist you in bringing about that inner visceral concern for others that insists upon helping them.