Mercy is often selfishly expected. For the times I foolishly get myself into a jam, I can be found muttering prayers that God would extend some mercy to me. By jam, I mean presuming that a pediatrician’s appointment will actually run on time and so I only feed the parking meter a lowly amount. Yet, when time has expired and I’m unable to refill the meter, I’m silently begging God to go easy on me and leave my windshield ticketless. In deliberately doing this repeatedly only because I’m acting too cheap to spare an extra few cents is senseless on my part.
Mercy is a gift. It’s something that’s given to another. There are always two choices in every scenario. Generally speaking, it boils down to deserved consequence vs merciful outcome. It’s takes a very discerning person to see that even a deserved consequence can be mercy wrapped up in different packaging. Regardless of how hard I beg or the number of tears I may be tempted to shed in order to plead my case, it’s not a gift I can give myself. You cannot buy mercy. It’s not for sale. The other person must decide for themselves whether it not to grant it to me. And everyone’s standard of measurement varies.
Mercy was extended to me. God is oh so merciful to me!! Words escape me to describe this gesture with even an attempted eloquence. He is so merciful that I haven’t even seen all the ways in which gift of mercy has blessed my life. Just in reading and studying more and more of His Word, I see my shortfalls against His grandeur and yet I am not loved any less. God extends His mercy to me over and over and over again, never keeping count and never on the condition of this, that or the other. He just gives.
I need to show mercy without conditions. My definition of mercy has been marred by humanity. I often want to *cough* judge *cough* others, trying to determine in my finite mind whether or not they’re deserving of my gift of mercy. If I deem them worthy, then I extend mercy, with long strings attached as if to snatch it back should they fail to meet certain criteria. If I can be completely honest—my stock of mercy is very limited. After enough failings, the supply has been nearly depleted and mercy is not something I want to give to anyone anymore. Save myself the disappointment.
That behavior is un-Christlike. Life is not all about me.
Lord, help me to copy Your model. Lead me to be merciful to others just as You’re merciful to me.
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I’m linking up with Lisa-Jo and the five minute Friday community. Won’t you stop by and visit? Maybe you’ll be encouraged to pull our your favourite writing gear and just let your heart flow for 5 (ish) minutes too? You’ll learn something new today 