Do you struggle with showing mercy?


 TODAY'S PROVERB: Whoever pursues righteousness and mercy finds life, prosperity and honor. Proverbs 21:21

My blog on 10/11 focused on the pursuit of righteousness based on Proverbs 11:5: "The righteousness of the blameless man makes his way straight, but the wicked man is brought down by his wickedness."

In our pursuit of living a righteous life, we can sometimes hyper-focus on our works and internal examinations. So much so that we can look up and around us and be appalled at others' behaviors.

I love how this proverb reminds us to also include mercy in our pursuit of righteous behavior.

Mercy is defined as "compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm." Hmm. Feels a bit clinical.

How do we pursue mercy?

I came across some quotes that helped me define mercy in a more practical way. Hope they'll be an encouragement to you, too.

C.S. Lewis said, "Mercy detached from justice grows unmerciful." In other words: without the verdict of "guilty," mercy becomes a pass for sin. Before mercy can be shown, the sin/wrong needs to be clearly recognized.

Edmund Spenser said, "Who will not mercy unto others show? How can he mercy ever hope to have?" In other words: Our Heavenly Father first showed us mercy, how can we NOT show mercy to others?

Joyce Meyers said, "Mercy is the stuff you give to people who don't deserve it." No explanation necessary.

My favorite quote is by Pastor E.H. Chapin: "The unmerciful man [or woman] is most certainly an unblessed man. His sympathies are all dried up, he is afflicted with a chronic jaundice, and lives timidly and darkly in a little narrow rat-hole of distrust." Okay, it's harsh, but I love the imagery.

When all we care about is righteous behavior, we can become self-righteous. Our world becomes small and rigid. Our need for righteous behavior for all can suck the life out of those around us. Not a good thing.

The pursuit of mercy balances our pursuit of righteousness. Our pursuit of righteousness balances our pursuit of mercy. We need them both. With both, we find life, prosperity, and honor. That's good for me, how about you?

 May we find the balance of righteousness and mercy.

Proverbs 21:21, Tree of Life Bible Society, Tree of Life Version - TLV #tlvbible #tlvproverbs

[WATCH MONDAY through FRIDAY LIVE at 8:30EST, Tree of Life Bible Society's CEO, Daniah Greenberg and me, Terri Gillespie, Author dig a little deeper with the book of Proverbs. Watch previous episodes there as well. Stay wise, my friends!]

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