Mercy

I originally wrote this post back in April and have been saving in my drafts.  For some reason, I never felt like posting it until today.  I'm not sure why...but here it is, finally.  :)

     Christianity was founded on mercy.  That is so easy to forget.  Without God's grace and mercy, we would be cut off from him because of our own sin.  We love to talk about God's grace and his mercy.  We do Bible studies on it and sing songs about it.  But, as Christ followers, we are called to show mercy to others as well.  I think if you were to ask most people if they were merciful, they would say yes.  Most people are quick to show mercy to the less fortunate.  We send money, donate blood or clothes to the hurting people in the world.  We take in stray animals.  We hate injustice, and stand up against it...we even fight wars to defeat it.  We give people 2nd chances...and 3rd chances.
     I have always considered myself a merciful person.  But, lately, God has been revealing to me that I have some room for improvement.  It's easy to show mercy to orphans, hurricane victims, the abused and the forgotten.  We excel at showing mercy when it makes us feel good; when we can pat ourselves on the back for it.  But what about when it feels better to not show mercy...what about the woman at the grocery store.  You know, the one with the screaming kids, or the one with 25 items in the express lane.  It's so easy to judge them...terrible parent, inconsiderate...even though we don't know them.  Or, what about the person that cuts you off in traffic...idiot.  Don't forget about the person with the out of style haircut and frumpy clothes...no one shows them much mercy.  Even if we don't say it out loud, we think it. I do it all the time...never in word or deed, but in thought...making snap judgments about strangers.  I can judge someone's entire character based on a 30 second snapshot of their life.  It's so easy to judge people when their only flaw is they are not like me, or they are not doing something the way I would do it.
     I'm so glad that God is not like that.  I'm so thankful He doesn't make snide remarks about me when I do something that does not reflect His character...when I'm lazy, or foolish, or sinful.  I'm glad he shows me mercy.  I'm glad he judges my actions, but not my person.  I'm glad that he is patient with me.  I'm so thankful that he gives me multiple chances to get it right...that he recognizes that I'm on a journey and that I'm not perfect, and that he loves me anyway.  I'm trying hard to be more merciful and more loving...to show others the same mercy and grace that God has shown to me.  The world needs more safe places, more safe people...where you can just be yourself...free to make mistakes sometimes and be loved anyway; free to be imperfect.  I hope I can become that person for the people I encounter in my life.  When we show mercy we become a living testimony of God's love for each of us.

"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."  James 3:17-18