40 Days of Love – Day 26

Understanding God's Mercy

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--
not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

Grace has been described as "getting something you do not deserve". Mercy on the other hand has been described as "not getting what you do deserve". God's grace offers me forgiveness and eternal life and His mercy spares me the judgment and penalty I deserve for my sin.

Many times I find myself thinking that a person is just getting what they deserve and I am taking some delight in their pain or punishment. How merciless and graceless is that. To take delight in another's punishment is far from what God expects from his followers. This mercilessness also is seen at times when in I look down on others with a self righteous attitude. They are horrible sinners and I should have no contact with them after all I am to "avoid the very appearance of evil" (1 Thess 5:22). What a misuse of that verse in that context. We are not to avoid people who need the Lord, we are to go to them. We are not to participate in their evil but we are not to look down on them either. This can open a real can of worms for some people who want to nit-pick. Some people would build a "hedge of protection" around their families to keep them from being exposed or subjected to evil. I understand that desire but that same hedge that protects you keeps you from sharing the gospel with people who desperately need it. Jesus' prayer for us in John 17 was not to be taken out of the world but that He would take us through the world with his protection.

I get so irritated when I hear people in church trying to put artificial standards on who is welcome in our church. It is couched in "those people" terms. That was the problem Simon, the Pharisee, was having in the story the author related from Luke 7. He and the disciples were thinking in "those people" terms rather than in welcoming terms. Jesus saw the heart and Simon and the disciples were only thinking of their reputations.

I see myself way too much in the reading for today. I have worked on my attitude and behavior here for years and yet still from time to time see those old prejudices coming out. I must continue to focus on God's mercy, forgiveness and love in my life and then offer that to others. This showing of mercy and grace must characterize my life if I am to be the person God has called me to be.

What did this day's reading say to you?