Have you ever felt that mercy is “not in your nature”? If God doesn’t treat us as we deserve, why should we? If God’s mercies are new every morning, so can ours be. Mercy is one of the central themes found throughout both the Old and New Testament Scriptures. It is not just a sentiment but a deliberate decision and action, empowered by the Holy Spirit, that helps us exercise mercy whenever others wrong us. While mercy is not part of our human nature, it is a divine and valuable attribute to possess.
What is mercy? In basic terms, mercy is compassion, pity, or forgiveness shown to someone who deserves punishment or harm. It is God not treating us as we deserve. Mercy involves receiving God’s compassion when we wrong Him, as well as extending that same compassion to others when we are wronged. It pertains to compassion and pity for the miserable, addressing their sins, sorrows, struggles, and sufferings. Mercy is sympathy for the afflicted and forgiveness for the offender. It represents God’s decisive refusal to treat us as our sins deserve, inviting us to extend that same mercy to others.
Mercy is a divine virtue that does not come naturally to us as humans, who tend to take matters into our own hands and seek revenge for the wrongs done to us. God is the original source of mercy; He describes Himself in Exodus 34:6 as merciful, gracious, and long-suffering, abounding in goodness and truth. As our heavenly Father, God is merciful (see Luke 6:36).
Mercy is a divine virtue that inspires us to have pity and compassion, extending forgiveness to each other.
Understanding the importance of mercy reveals why we should practice it. Where there is sin, mercy is required. Every sinner needs God’s mercy and should plead for it. Luke 18:13 (NKJV) states, “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’”
We ought to show mercy because God is merciful to us (see Luke 6:36). Showing mercy is for God’s sake and demonstrates our dedication to obeying Him. When we show mercy, we, too, will receive mercy (see Matthew 5:7).
As believers in Christ, we are commanded, called, and characterized by mercy and our daily conduct of showing mercy. Just as our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ exemplifies the mercy of God, we are invited to follow His example. This helps us become more like Him, showing mercy instead of succumbing to our natural instincts for retaliation. We can look to David’s prayer life as a model. Many verses in the Book of Psalms illustrate how David begins his prayers by pleading for God’s mercy. For instance, Psalms 4:1 ends with a plea for mercy. Other examples include Psalms 6:2, 9:13, 30:10, and 31:9, where he asks God to have mercy on him, as well as Psalms 25:16 and 86:16, where he pleads for God to turn to him with mercy. David’s example teaches us that mercy allows God to intervene on our behalf, opening the door to prayer and clearing the way for a holy, righteous God to approach a sinful person.
In conclusion, we examined two vital aspects: mercy received from God and mercy extended to others. Our natural capacity to have and show mercy is limited without experiencing God’s mercy for ourselves. Once we have received God’s mercy in our own lives. We are then called — and even commanded — to become channels of that mercy in our daily lives to others as well. Failing to show mercy to others when we have received mercy from God is wrong, and in turn, our own mercy may be withheld. If God’s mercies renew each morning, so can ours.
Contributor: Brahim M. Kallon (Wisdom Grace)
