Tuesday; March 6

The principle of forgiving one another has been around since the beginning of time.  Through the years it has been taught as a founding principle of Christianity and it continues to be vital today.  When someone approaches us and asks for our forgiveness, we need to be willing to grant their request – not just because it is the right thing to do but, according to Jesus, our own forgiveness is based upon our willingness to forgive others.

While forgiveness is an important part of godly living there is another concept that is closely related to it that tends to be overlooked.  When someone offends us we need to offer forgiveness, but the idea of “mercy” is even more universal.  We can be merciful to anyone, not just those who directly mistreat us.  A good definition of mercy is “giving people what they want rather than what they deserve”.  No, it is not the antithesis of accountability, rather it is suspending punishment and/or discipline when doing so could bring about a blessing for others.  It isn’t ignoring an incident, it is choosing to apply grace rather than consequences.

The concept of mercy is important to the lives of Christians (who have hope only because God has promised to be merciful to us).  Yet, there is another aspect to this – one that comes about through our interactions with other human beings.  When we are merciful to others, we are investing in our own future.  People who are caustic in discipline or harsh in judgement are apt to receive the same in return while those who are merciful have a better chance of receiving mercy.  The Bible teaches, “The merciful  man does himself good, but the cruel man does himself harm.” (Proverbs 11:17) 

We will all need mercy at some point in our lives.  Are we depositing it into our neighbor’s emotional bank account for when we need it from them?

Think About It!