“‘No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.’” Micah 6:8 NLT
Anyone who knows me well knows that accountability is a personal value of mine. Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines "accountability" as “the quality or state of being accountable
especially: an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions.” Whenever I encounter people who fail to accept responsibility and own their part in any given situation, I tend to lose respect for them and write them off. In most instances, I’ll still be cordial and I have determined in my mind to keep them at arm’s length emotionally and just not engage with them unless necessitated by circumstances.
Because I value accountability, showing mercy to those who have committed an offense against me is not easy. I just told y’all I actually fail at it. Instead I employ defense mechanisms and adopt worldly notions that do not always align to God’s Word. However Jesus in Luke 6:36 said ““Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” Merriam-Webster defines "mercy" as “compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender... also: lenient or compassionate treatment.”
So let’s talk about how to love mercy!
Here we are in Micah 6:8 again. Remember the prophet Micah is reminding God’s people what His three requirements are because their actions are not meeting expectations. We too are God’s people and because His character does not change"to love mercy" is what God wants us to exemplify too.
Here's how we can practice mercy in our daily lives:
Spiritual Perspective: Often when we are harmed by someone, all we can see is what they did to us or how they mistreated us. Even when displaying mercy to us, God looks at us beyond our shortcomings and brokenness and sees into our heart and who we are becoming through the work of the Holy Spirit. Similarly, Jesus declares in Luke 6:36 “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” God can grant us the ability to see the person from His perspective. In 2 Kings 6:17-20 God had already given Elisha spiritual perspective, and He prayed for his servant to have that same insight. We can ask God to grant us His perspective and to see our earthly brethren as He does.
Forgive: The Bible speaks about forgiveness often. Colossians 3:13 states that we should be “bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” Forgiveness can feel like relinquishing accountability for our offender but the truth is God is the only one who can hold people accountable anyway because He is King and Judge not us. (For more resources on how to forgive read Let It Go, Pay It Forward, and Bitter Or Better)
Look Beyond You: Humans are naturally wired to be selfish creatures. We often think in the short term and immediacy for our needs. With awareness and right perspective we begin to care about the needs of others. Zechariah 7:8-10 records “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother.’” In Matthew 25:31-45 Jesus tells the story of how when we feed the hungry, visit those in prison or sick, provide clothing to those in need that we are actually serving Him. Consider prioritizing meeting the needs of others and showing mercy consistently to those who have greater needs.
Please know that providing for the needy does not absolve us of the responsibility to show mercy and forgive those who have harmed or offended us. Matthew 5:7 records these words from Jesus “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” This requirement to show mercy to friends, strangers, and foes alike is a “both-and” not an “either-or” type of thing. God shows us mercy with the expectation that we will mirror that mercy to others.
Reflection
Whom do I need to show mercy? What is holding me back from truly giving that person my full forgiveness? How can I seek God’s perspective regarding this person? What steps can I take to show mercy to those near and far to me?
Prayer
Lord, thank You for providing your mercy daily. Forgive me for withholding mercy to those in my life. Help me to see those in need and those who have harmed or offended me as You do. Let me be a peacemaker and carry Your mantle of reconciliation. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
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