Saturday, January 12, 2013

Have Mercy!


“For if you refuse to act kindly, you can hardly expect to be treated kindly. Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time.” (James 2:13 MSG)

Having mercy is all about showing human kindness towards others who have betrayed us. I am pretty sure that we have all been offended and endured all kinds of hurt in our lives, many times from those who are the very closest to us! And oh my goodness; isn’t it just so exhausting to turn the other cheek and be compassionate to someone who has offended, criticized, or wounded us deeply? But when we withhold forgiveness from others, we are not showing our appreciation for God’s mercy toward us. It’s easy to be nice to someone who is nice to you, but what about having mercy towards those that assault or insult our character and dignity? Sometimes mercy is raised to a new level when we are called to show mercy to people who are unkind or do wrong things to us.

“If it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”(Romans 12:8 NIV)


God calls us to be real and show mercy that goes beyond being hypocritical and polite. It’s human nature to regard others’ offenses more highly than our own, and to react in a ‘tit for tat’ way to get revenge. We naturally want to be treated fairly, and as a result we are driven to get restitution. But what about when we hurt others? We have a completely different attitude and expect a certain amount of grace….right? I believe we all need to remember moments like these, and when we experience a time of outrage at someone else’s behavior or fault, we must remember to apply mercy that will take over and help us overcome our annoyance and ill temper. God is a God of mercy, and He expects His children to be merciful as well.

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

Mercy is a heavenly quality that is a characteristic of God himself. And understanding how important it is to God that we show people mercy helps us to clearly define and distinguish our Christian individuality. We have to realize that we are all imperfect, and haven’t we all at one time or another approached the throne of mercy to be forgiven for the mistakes we have made? How can we deny any measure of grace to others when we so desperately desire it for ourselves? God’s mercy is needed by all people, and the benefit of showing mercy and kindness to others is that we will be shown mercy and grace as well. According to God’s definition, grace is the power to be self-controlled, upright, and live a godly life. And those filled with His grace are eager to do what is good. When we are filled with His grace, it is so much easier to remove the scales of resentment and anger from our eyes, and allow us to see and treat others as God does. Mercy is a divine quality, and it is to the merciful that God will show mercy!

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33 comments:

  1. A hard lesson I have learned. But, since God is showing me all aspect of His love, having mercy is right up there. Thank you dear for sharing. Blessings.

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    1. We are challenged, but isn't His grace amazing? :) Blessings to you sweet lady!

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  2. Good word to start the day with Denise. Mercy.
    Tit for Tat comes oh so easy. Mercy...not so much. Oh how we need to pray for a heart like HIS. Thank you for reminding me.
    Blessings for your day...Chelle

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    1. Something I continuously work on Chelle (as you know!!) Thanks dear friend, and may God bless your day too! :)

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  3. Thanks for a wonderful post. This morning my husband and I were talking about this very thing. It is so easy to become "judgmental" forgetting that we have been given great mercy. Praying continually for God to make me merciful. Thanks again for an encouraging message. God bless ~

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    1. Hi Rhonda, definitely something I have to work on everyday, and I am so thankful for His patience and grace! :)Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. Hi Denise
    Yes, dear One, if only we could see with our Pappa God's eyes and see what causes others and ourselves do do the. hurtful things we do, we would have a much better understanding. May we receive tons of mercy from Him to enable us to spread His fragrance of mercy all around us. Nice meeting you at Spiritual Sundays!
    Hugs
    Mia

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    1. Mia, thanks for always stopping by and leaving your uplifting and encouraging comments. I would love to follow you back but can't find a way to connect with you. If you have a blog, leave me some instructions. :) Blessings and love dear sister...

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  5. Thanks for this precious post! And a special thanks for the beautiful bibleverse: Hebrews 4:16!

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    1. Jedidja, thank YOU for being such a wonderful friend; I am so glad we connected and have stayed in touch! :) Blessings and love!

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  6. this is powerful and so appropriate for me right now. Kindness can do so much. And Mercy. It's what He showed us. Not sure I even deserved it. Thanks Denise for writing your heart and for penning the truth. Have a super week out there.

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    1. Not sure I always deserve it either Nikki! Thanks my friend, and have a wonderful week yourself! :)

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  7. Denise, your devotionals always have a way hitting the mark my friend. There have been times I have to remind myself of these very things when I felt offended by some one. Yet when I look at it see just how often I offend God and He forgives me, I know I must let it go.

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    1. Very good words to remember Wanda; now to let those thoughts be my first response in every situation is the challenge! :)

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  8. We had a elderly man in a church we pastored who loved the Hebrews verse. He quoted many times in his testimonies. I has become precious to me, too.

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    1. What a wonderful memory for you to hold on to Pamela; he must have been very special! :)

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  9. Denise, you have such a beautiful way of sharing God's word.
    Sometimes I get snagged on showing mercy CHEERFULLY. (Romans 12:8 NIV) I often pray that He will purify my heart so my attitude will be pleasing to Him... Still working on that! :)
    Glad you came by M@WtoW today!
    Blessings to you ~ Mary

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  10. Oh yes, something I am still growing in too Mary! It's difficult sometimes, but certainly leaves us with a feeling of calmness and love which blesses us as it does our Father. :)

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  11. Thank you so much for a post on this very important topic. This will help me to remember, to "have mercy" as I need to spend the day around somebody who never fails to irritate me.

    Your blog is wonderful!

    Kathy M.

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    1. Hi Kathy, Oh yes, sometimes life sends us a curve ball in the form of a very difficult person! But God’s word challenges us to love them anyway. :) Thanks for visiting!

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  12. Praise God that He is merciful to us and because of Him we can be merciful to others.

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    1. Not always easy, but the more we are thankful for His grace, the more we can pass it on! Blessings Peggy!

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  13. Such a humbling and truthful read. May our love be evident to all, and our mercy be abundant to others! Amen!

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  14. Hi Denise,
    As always, an awesome post. When someone does something against me, the longer I dwell on it, the more I suffer. It has a way of eating at me. When we fail to forgive and be merciful toward someone, the devil wins. Even when we are deeply wounded by something by someone, there is always healing by forgiving someone.
    Have a blessed day my good friend,
    Ken

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    1. So true Ken; it does no good to let things fester up inside because it makes us bitter and resentful. Better to demonstrate mercy just as God shows us mercy! :) Blessings on your day, too!

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  15. I love that God's mercies are made new every morning!
    (lamentations 3:22,23) Mine, unfortunately are not always made new each day, but seriously lacking sometimes.
    ~God bless, and ((hugs))~ Lisa

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    1. Love those verses Lisa. Yes I need to work on mine a little harder every morning, too! :) Blessings my friend!

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  16. I wish I could understand more about the mercy of God, it is a concept that is difficult for me. I know I have received mercy, but I don't always know how to accept it!

    Thanks for linking up with us this week!

    http://talesofbeautyforashes.com

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    1. It is sometimes hard to accept and even harder to give it, but keeping focused on His Word and using it as a daily tool helps! :)

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  17. Thankful His mercies are new every morning! No longer at Deb's One Life just focusing on our mission blog. Miss hearing from you!

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    1. I have missed hearing from you too, Deb. You have often been in my thoughts! I am thankful to hear from you and that you are doing well....blessings and much love to you and your mission work! :)

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