Week 9 in the NFL began last night while the season continues to be filled with injuries and Coronavirus related absences for many players across the league.
The San Francisco 49ers have been hit as hard as any team in the league as their top offensive players (George Kittle, Raheem Mostert, and Jimmy Garoppolo) have gone down with injuries.
According to the AP, in last night's matchup against the Packers, they became “the first team since the 1970 merger to play a game without its starting QB and six of its top seven players in yards from scrimmage, outside of the 1987 replacement player games.”
Throw in the fact that on defense they were also missing star players Nick Bosa, Richard Sherman, and Dee Ford, it’s no surprise they lost 34-17.
Packers' QB, Aaron Rodgers, took advantage of the depleted 49ers by throwing for 305 yards and four touchdowns. After the game, he made this comment: "They’ve had some tough injuries to some really key players, but no one’s feeling sorry for anybody in this league. That’s the way it goes. Nobody’s feeling sorry for us. We’re dealing with injuries.”
The 49ers and Packers have a pretty good rivalry going, so of course, Rodgers isn’t going to feel sorry for San Francisco's injury issues or ease up on them in any way.
This mindset makes sense in the competitive world of sports, as teams are trying to win games regardless of the number of injuries.
However, when it comes to life and relationships, I think we have to check our heart and mindset regarding our approach to “feeling sorry” for other people.
We can easily disregard someone else's “injury problems” when we have our own issues to deal with or when we feel like their “injuries” are their fault.
But what if we actually lived with more empathy toward people instead of arrogantly downplaying what someone is going through and selfishly ignoring their struggles?
What if we attempted to care about others and try to understand how they're feeling? What if we tried to meet someone in their pain and do our best to show them empathy?
Empathy is “the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another's position.”
As followers of Jesus, we've been shown such grace, mercy, love, and kindness from God that we should absolutely be willing to care about people.
Colossians 3:12 (NLT) tells us "Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."
Proverbs 21:13 (NLT) warns, "Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need."
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV) declares, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
There are many people around us going through really difficult situations and "no one's feeling sorry for anybody." But, today, let's change that by being willing to show empathy and comfort while bringing them the hope of Jesus.
I'm Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
Discussion Questions for PACKS:
Who do you have a tough time feeling sorry for or having empathy toward?
How does it impact you when someone shows you empathy?
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