Ego empathy says: “I feel your pain because I am also wounded.”

Holy Spirit empathy says: “I see your pain, but I also see the light in you, and I stand with you in that light.”

Spirit-aligned empathy phrases:

1. “I’m here with you, and I trust there’s peace and strength in you, even if it doesn’t feel that way right now.”

2. “You are not alone in this. What you are is so much bigger than what you’re going through.”

3. “I may not fully understand, but I’m with you in love and in spirit.”

4. “Let’s hold space together for healing—something greater than both of us is at work.”

5. “There’s a deep strength in you that I honor. Let’s trust it to carry you through.”

6. “I feel called to be with you in this, not to fix it, but to stand with you in love.”

7. “I see your light, even if it feels covered right now. It’s still there.”

Why these work:

• They avoid centering your own experience (“I’ve been through it”).

• They don’t make pain the basis of connection.

• They create space for the Holy Spirit to lead, not your ego or their ego.

• They reflect true empathy: seeing the other as whole, even when they feel broken.

You are not sure that He will do His part, because you have never yet done yours completely. You cannot know how to respond to what you do not understand.