When I think of the mercy God has given to me, it made me think of how the mercy I extend to others. I began to ask myself, “Why don’t I show the same mercy and grace God shows me when someone hurts me?”
While I was thinking about that, a verse of Scripture came to my mind from Matthew 18:21-35. And it speaks of a parable from Jesus about a king who forgave the debt of a slave that owed him millions! There is no way this slave could ever repay that kind of money, so the king extended mercy and forgave the debt; the slave was now free to leave the prison, But when the forgiven slave gets back to his life he finds a man who owes him some money. To the forgiven slave this amount wasn't near the amount he owed to the king, but instead of forgiving this man’s debt, he chose to not to show the same mercy he had just received. The slave debt begged for his life but the forgiven slave threw him into prison. Word came back to the king what had happened and so he summoned the forgiven slave. He asked the forgiven slave, “Why didn’t you show the same mercy I showed you?”, then had him put back into prison and made him repay his debt to the king by torturing him. Jesus ended this parable with these immortal words, “So My heavenly Father will also do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart”.
In other words, It's taxing when we choose not to give the same mercy that God has given us when we beg for His forgiveness to someone who has hurt us. It can destroy us, it tortures us, sometimes We don’t sleep or rest like we should. Someone has said that we don’t hold grudges; grudges hold us. So true!
Do you want to know what this world needs? More mercy! There are way to many prisons that are overcrowded in our nation and there are way to many debtors prisons in the hearts of our lives that are overcrowded! So it’s time to empty those prisons in our hearts by showing mercy. And that starts with me and you! One life at a time.
My reflection upon this blog today is to innovatory the debtors prisoners in my heart and release anyone with a debt with he gift of mercy! They Don't have to know it.. I will and so will God. Let’s remember, no one has ever hurt you more than you’ve hurt God and with mercy, He extends forgiveness.
Father, forgive me when I hold a grudge. Forgive me when I don’t extend the same mercy & grace you have given me. I don’t want to have a prison full of prisoners in my heart. Let me find grace in your eyes by releasing the debts of those who have hurt me. In Jesus name. Amen.
