Dipensers of Mercy

“Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger; do not discipline me in Your wrath. Be gracious to me Lord, for I am weak; heal me, Lord for my bones are shaking.” (Psalm 6:1-2 CSB).

How many times have we prayed a similar prayer? I can’t number my own pleas in this area. Later David will cry, “For troubles without numbers have surrounded me; my sins have overtaken me; I am unable to see, they are more than the hairs on my head . . . .” (Psalm 40:12 CSB–emphasis mine).

Have you ever noticed that when it is us, we want to be treated with mercy and kindness, but when it is someone else we want justice? We want the Lord and people to deal kindly with us but we think nothing of dealing harshly with others. We excuse our ugliness by claiming, “We’re just being honest,” or “They deserve it.” Too many of us live with a hypocritical double standard. We want to be handled respectably with “kid gloves” while pummeling others ruthlessly. We want God to show us mercy despite our many failings, yet we insist on the right to dispense “justice” on others. This ought not be.

Those of us who are recipients of grace should be dispensing grace; those of us who cry to God for mercy should be in turn merciful even to those who don’t deserve it. Both grace and mercy are undeserved by definition. We don’t receive God’s grace or God’s mercy because we are deserving, quite the opposite. It is testimony to our sinful, selfish natures when we cry to God for mercy yet refuse to show mercy to others. Jesus put it this way: 32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:32-36 NIV).