Thinking About Mercy

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about mercy. Not only about the mercy that God shows me, but the mercy I give to others. I’ve been asking myself, “what is true mercy?”  Is mercy my excusing away someone’s actions? Is mercy my ability to turn the other cheek? Or is it speaking the truth in love to a friend or family member who is acting in an ungodly manner?

I think there is probably some amount of truth in all of these definitions, but the truth God has been showing me is this. If a child reaches to touch a hot stove, and you sternly tell them “No.” That is mercy. If they are running across the street while oncoming traffic rapidly approaches, and you grab their arm to stop them from preceding. That is mercy. An unmerciful person would let them burn themselves or be injured by the approaching vehicle. (Psalms 40:11) “Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord; may your love and your truth always protect me.”

In this new world where we have become so tolerant and so careful not to offend; Where we have been guilted into believing that mercy is silence, and tolerance is righteous, we have lost the true meaning and the true power of mercy.

Jesus shows us mercy when he chastens us and calls us to repent. To have true repentance one must realize their sins, flaws and weaknesses. We must see the right and the wrong side by side and know the difference. The understanding of what is right reveals what is wrong in us and brings us to the place where we can freely receive his love and mercy. His mercy forgives us when we should not be forgiven. It gives us life when we deserve death. It gives us hope when we are worthy of hopelessness. His mercy is there to catch us when we fall, no matter how many times that may be, but it never stops being mercy. It never stops telling the truth. God doesn’t change the rules or what should and shouldn’t be accepted. (Heb 13:8) “He is the same yesterday, today and forever.” When He puts a mountain in our way to stop us from going somewhere we shouldn’t, or He convicts our hearts of a sin we have committed, or He sends a friend to say “Hey..what are you doing?” He does it all out of mercy and out of love. He does it every day.

So, I guess what I’m saying is…speak up! God does. He does it in love, but he does it. Mercy by very definition is to pardon, but not to ignore. There is a difference. To pardon someone’s actions after they’ve realized their transgression is a choice. To ignore it is more like a disconnection from the situation and the person all together. Don’t disconnect from what’s going on with your friends and family. Be involved.

I know there is a fine line here between speaking the truth in love to someone and trying to get the splinter out of someone else’s eye while you have a beam in your own, but I believe there is a balance that can be achieved. This balance can happen when you yourself are humble and reflective upon your own sins, so when speaking to a loved one you do not speak from a place of judgment, but rather a place of understanding. God is the judge, but He has uses us to speak the truth to one another. His truth, not ours. Know the truth, know Him, know mercy, and then stand up and say something! Let our families, our churches, and our nation not be consumed by indulgence and fear of offense, but be filled with a Holy boldness to “go into all the world and preach the gospel in Jesus name!” (Mark 16:15)

Add Comments

Name:
Email:
Location:
URL:
Comment:
	Remember my personal information
	Notify me of follow-up comments?
Please enter the word you see in the image below: