Mercy, a blessing

And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6 7-9


I am currently working through a book by one of my favourite authors, Angela Thomas. The book is “A Beautiful Offering”. The chapter I just finished spoke about the blessing of Mercy. When I think about Mercy it often causes me to reflect on the Mercy Christ has shown me. I am amazed by it and transformed by it, though I didn’t often contemplate on it as being a blessing that I can extend through Christ to those around me. Through the past few years I come to understand a lot more about God’s Grace and Mercy, although I know I won’t ever fully comprehend it, through this I have learned to see the world with more “color” and not so “black and white”. It was always easy to categorize things into right or wrong than to show mercy, to draw clear lines to define good and bad. I could identify with the disciples who were shocked at the woman who poured her whole bottle of perfume on Jesus’ feet. It was easier, simpler to judge and keep things those things or those people at arms length, or so I thought. Here is how Angela summarized this so perfectly that I just had to share it with you!

From: Angela Thomas’ “A Beautiful Offering”

“One warning: This blessing probably won’t work if you want to hold on to your legalism or if you value rules more than souls. Mercy might make you uncomfortable and blow away the box that you’ve drawn around God. If you begin to give out mercy, things are going to change. You are going to begin to look into the eyes of people and hurt for their pain. You are going to hear yourself offer light into their darkness. You will start to love the unlovely.