Fall: Week Six
Blessed Are the Merciful:
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
~ Matthew 5:7 ~
People generally end up getting what they deserve. How you treat others affects how they treat you. If you show respect to those around you, then they will be more likely show respect to you. This “you reap what you sow” theme is one that is found all throughout Scripture. Just because God gave us frees will doesn’t mean that He won’t hold us accountable to the decisions that we make.
One of Jesus’ main recurring themes is leadership through service. Only by thinking of others as higher than yourself can you even begin to understand the love that God has for us. Jesus lived this out by always taking the time to stop and help everyone who came to Him for help. His is the example that we are to follow if we are to live the loves that God has called us to live.
There may not be anything more difficult to do than to show mercy to someone who does not deserve it. However, by God’s standards, not one of us deserves mercy, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)” But God is love, and God loves us. His love is so great that He sees past our iniquity and put a plan in motion to set us free from our sin. Jesus sacrificed His life for us, the ultimate act of mercy. His death paid the price for our rebellion against God – our perfect heavenly Father. We do not deserve God’s mercy, but He offers it to us anyway; therefore, we should show each other mercy.
It is all about how you treat people. No matter what you do or where you are, you must have good people skills. If you want to bring out the best in the people around you, then you must learn to show them mercy and grace. The Bible promises us that we will be held accountable to how we treat those around us. If we truly love God, then we will try to live life His way, and the best way to do this is by following Jesus’ example. If you need any guidance on how to get through a certain situation, then just open up your Bible and read about how Jesus carried Himself. He always showed love and compassion for the people around Him, and we should do likewise.
