The Heart of Compassion
The Heart Before the Mind
“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23 NKJV)
Children learn how to feel before they learn how to reason. The heart becomes the first classroom of the soul, and stories are the teachers that shape it. Good literature gives children the sacred gift of entering another’s world — to feel joy, sorrow, and triumph through another’s eyes. In that space, love begins to grow.
Walking Beside Others Through Story
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15 NKJV)
Good stories give children the chance to do just that. When they walk beside Anne of Green Gables, Corrie ten Boom, or Samwise Gamgee, they are learning empathy not as theory, but as practice. These characters teach them to celebrate courage, grieve injustice, and stand firm in hope.
You can read more about how stories plant seeds of faith and imagination in my post, Planting Seeds of Faith.
Learn more about how language shapes compassion and truth in The Power of Words.
Empathy that Reflects Christ
“Jesus Himself was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36 NKJV)
Empathy doesn’t just make children kind — it makes them Christlike. To love as He loves is to let the heart be moved by another’s need. In the stories that touch their hearts, children are rehearsing what it means to see others through the eyes of mercy.
When children live out the truths found in stories, their compassion becomes light in the world — a theme explored more in A Legacy of Light.
Feeling Truth Before Understanding It
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39 NKJV)
A child may memorize this verse, but it’s through story that they feel its truth. Good stories become emotional rehearsals for virtue. They soften the heart and prepare it for mercy. “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19 NKJV)
When stories move a child to compassion, they are not just learning about love — they are experiencing it.
Participating in Christ’s Heart
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus... taking the form of a bondservant.” (Philippians 2:5–7 NKJV)
Empathy in Christ is not mere sympathy — it is participation. Through story and reflection, children learn to enter others’ experiences with humility and grace, mirroring the heart of Jesus, who entered our suffering to redeem it.
A dear friend of mine shared that the Lord let her know that He was with her during a very traumatic accident. He was present and experiencing the pain that she was suffering. This impacted her in such a way that she was able to embrace emotional healing from the accident.
Raising Children Who Love Mercy
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 NKJV)
Every act of empathy is a rehearsal of this verse. When we fill our homes with stories that model mercy and compassion, we are shaping children who will walk humbly with God and love others faithfully. Stories that stir empathy don’t just teach children what to believe — they teach them how to love. And when the heart learns to listen, it begins to reflect the very heart of Jesus Himself.
Guiding Hearts and Minds — Together
Stories are the bridge between the mind and the heart. When we fill a child’s world with stories rooted in truth, we are giving them more than lessons — we are forming Christlike compassion.
If you’d like to nurture both learning and empathy in your child through the power of story, I would love to walk alongside your family. Together, we can build learning experiences that cultivate wisdom, love, and spiritual growth.
💬 Click here to schedule your free consultation and let's explore how we can work together.
