“. . . for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.” Luke 6:35
God is kind to everyone, even to people who are not grateful for the incredible sacrifice He made for them. God is kind even to evil people. And God expects the same from us. He wants us to have mercy for the mean.
This phrase in Luke is at it at the end of Jesus’ teaching on loving your enemies. I think of an enemy as someone known to me, but not in close relationship. For example, I would consider an abusive boss or an insulting classmate as an enemy. In such cases, when I remember their lost state, then I can have compassion on them . . . and even bless them
It is the people closest to us – not our enemies – for whom it is harder to mercy. Insults, slander and abuse from someone you trust, cut much deeper than those from someone you hardly know. If allowed to fester, those emotional wounds foster bitterness and unforgiveness. If nursed long enough, that bitterness in our souls will manifest as a sickness in our bodies (eg. high blood pressure, liver disease, cancer).
Having mercy for the mean requires forgiving those who have hurt us, especially those who are closest to us. When we don’t forgive, we are refusing to view life from God’s perspective. And we are never truly free; we are continually chained to that thing they said or did to us. God commands us to forgive because He knows that it is good for us. He wants us to be free to love and honor and worship Him.
Forgiveness is a choice, an act of the will. We can forgive even if we don’t feel like it. We make a choice to forgive because God commands it, not because the other party deserves it. And I have found it is important to speak the forgiveness OUT LOUD! Romans 10:17 says, “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” So as we speak the truth (God’s perspective), our ears will hear and our heart will eventually follow.
“I forgive ______ for wounding me with _______ .”
There is one final step that is key to find freedom in forgiveness: Bless Them! Yes, pray for God to bless them. I’m not talking about praying that God would bless them with burning coals upon their heads. I’m saying, pray that God would grow them into the man or woman of God that He has in mind for them to be. Pray for the godly character traits that you want to see in their life.
In the process of praying for them, God heals our hearts. He changes our perspective. And He sets us free! Praise God!!
When God asks us to do the hard stuff like loving our enemies and forgiving our loved ones, He is really doing it for our own good. He wants to heal our hearts! He wants to set us free!!
With that perspective, I am finding it very easy to have mercy for the mean.