Be Merciful, as One Who Has Been Shown Mercy

In Matthew 5:7 I read, "God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (NLT)

God doesn’t want me to show mercy only to the people I like, or only to the people it’s easy to be merciful to. God wants me to be merciful to everyone.

Why? Because I need mercy to get into heaven. Jesus says, “If I refuse to forgive others, my Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:15 NLT).

The only way I can get into a perfect heaven is by God’s mercy and forgiveness through the death of Jesus Christ. But I cannot receive what I’m unwilling to give myself.

I cannot afford to burn the bridge I need to walk across in order to get into heaven. If I won’t show mercy, why would I expect God to show mercy to me?

Someone at some point is going to need my forgiveness, because we all sin and are sinned against. When that person comes to me, asking for forgiveness (and even if they never do), how I respond to them will reveal what I believe about God’s character.

There’s going to be a Judgment Day. I need not live in fear, but I should live as if what I say and do matters. My words and actions count both here on earth and when my life is done. The Bible says, “You must show mercy to others, or God will not show mercy to you when he judges you. But the person who shows mercy can stand without fear at the judgment” (James 2:13 NCV).

Jesus says it another way in the Beatitudes: “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7 NLT).

God offers mercy, to me and everyone else who calls on his name. If a perfect God can do that for a sinful world, then I can do it for the person who sins against me.

In summary, God blesses those who are merciful, by showing them mercy. God doesn’t want me to show mercy only to the people I like, or only to the people it’s easy to be merciful to. God wants me to be merciful to everyone. Why? Because I need mercy to get into heaven. Jesus says, “If I refuse to forgive others, my Father will not forgive your sins”. The only way I can get into a perfect heaven is by God’s mercy and forgiveness through the death of Jesus Christ. But I cannot receive what I’m unwilling to give myself. If I won’t show mercy, why would I expect God to show mercy to me? When that person comes to me, asking for forgiveness (and even if they never do), how I respond to them will reveal what I believe about God’s character. I should live as if what I say and do matters. My words and actions count both here on earth and when my life is done. God offers mercy, to me and everyone else who calls on his name. If a perfect God can do that for a sinful world, then I can do it for the person who sins against me.

In retrospect, me showing mercy to others, is an example of God character. Only my own stubbornness and judgement keeps me from forgiving others. When I show mercy, God blesses me by showing his mercy to me. Father, I ask that with the help of the Holy Spirit in my life, that I always forgive and show mercy to others, no matter what they have done and whether they realize it or not. I also ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. These things I pray in your Son Jesus’ name, Amen.