Being compassionate toward others does not really require being two different people: one who mirrors the emotions of others and one who stands firm in their own feelings of hope and faith. Instead of the dichotomy between playing and singing, or between playing background music and experiencing the Lord’s Supper myself, it’s more like my two hands playing the piano together. One hand doesn’t drown out the other, and focusing on one hand doesn’t make me forget what I’m doing with the other hand. They play together, complementing each other and supporting each other. Each has its own task, just as each part of the church body described in Romans 12 has its own task, but they work together as one unit.
We so often want to be important - not only that, but more important than everyone else. More special. More loved. But we are just one note in a chord, one fleck of paint in a masterpiece. Don't be a tritone (the most irritating of intervals in music), dissonant with all around you.
We are not called on to do everything and to be everything to another person. Just like in an orchestra, we don’t play the whole thing ourselves - we just play our part, and when everyone else does too, a beautiful symphony comes out. It may be hard to know God's ultimate will for our life, but we can always start by just obeying His basic commands and just doing the little things we know we can do for others: be kind, be friendly, help others when they ask – be compassionate as God is compassionate toward us. We are not responsible for making others accept Christ, or for giving them faith, or for solving all their problems. But our lives and our communities will become a symphony if we will just play the right notes at the right time.
Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
Isaiah 49:13