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 bless