Are you merciful?
I consider myself a merciful person. I try to always give people the benefit of the doubt before having any assumption or opinion…or so I think. Unfortunately, I have been faced with my own lack of mercy and judgmental attitude several times recently.
There were quite a few posts this week on social media about the American dentist who killed a famous lion in Zimbabwe. The outrage took over news channels and social media by storm. At the same time, people began to post comparisons of the outrage over the killed lion to the lack of concern over millions of aborted babies. The social media frenzy became a war!
Honestly, I didn’t know what to say or if I should say anything. I personally believe both instances of death are a tragedy. But, I began to wonder if my own beliefs about abortion equated women with the dentist. Aren’t they both killers?
After having my son 15 months ago, my views about abortion became more personal and I have to admit that my ferocious motherly instinct wants to punish anyone who would hurt a child, even before they’re born. But, I also have several friends who went through the tragic experience of having an abortion and have told me their stories of heartache and pain. When I heard about an abortion from the perspective of someone I knew personally, it did not change my beliefs of killing an unborn child but it did open my ears and my heart more to the mother and her own hurting soul.
Jesus doesn’t specifically address the issue of abortion or killing lions in the Bible, but He does give a strong word of wisdom about how we should treat those who have done something wrong: “But the Lord replied, ‘You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water? This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?’” (Luke 13:15, 16 NLT)
Where there is sin there is grace. And where there is even more sin, even more grace abounds. It’s hard for me to always look at others, especially those whom I disagree with and have done terrible things in my eyes, and not quickly judge them. It’s easy for me to grab my gavel of self-righteousness and seal the verdict on those who have sinned. But, what’s the difference between my sin and the sins of others? Isn’t all sin the same to God?
I don’t think we should condone or encourage behavior that is wrong, but I do believe we should view each person, as God would see them—through the eyes of mercy and grace.
“Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. This is not only clear, but it’s now—this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness” (Romans 3:22-26 MSG).
