Matthew 5:7
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.”
As a christian we have received God’s mercy. Primarily in what Jesus did. This is huge and will be the focus throughout all eternity. Lamentation 3:22,23 says, “The LORD’S acts of mercy indeed do not end, For His compassions do not fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” A nights sleep is cleansing and we wake up to new mercies. It goes on and on and on.
How can we who are such recipients of His mercy not give it. It’s a huge contradiction. Jesus shared a parable about it in Matthew 18:32,33, “Then summoning him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’” That is why we are to be merciful.
Our blindness can cause us to be judgmental. It’s quite hypocritical. We are all capable of it. To fall into it is wrong. Pray for a grateful, merciful heart. Indulge in mercy, give it freely like we have an unlimited supply.
It’s like 2 Corinthians 9:7b says, “For God loves a cheerful giver.” We can give grudgingly or without emotion. It’s a whole new level when we give cheerfully. We should give mercy freely. People respond to that. It’s Godly. He gives it freely and happily.
Mercy isn’t free. In the end Jesus and God paid much. Even so, they seek to give it. People may have hurt us. If we’ve been forgiven, we should forgive. This is something God wants to work into us. To be merciful is to be like God. That would be a compliment to be seen as merciful.
Lord, help us to be merciful. You’ve given us so much. Help us to be merciful. Even in the event of hurt. Your example is the best one.