Measure Your Mercy

Measure Your Mercy
Oct 11, 2010
Matthew 7:2 "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."


It is so easy to judge others. Every one of us is guilty of this EVERY SINGLE day. We see someone walk in the room and she doesn't even need to open her mouth before we think certain thoughts about her. You do it just as often, if not more often, than I do. We can't help it. For some reason, our predisposition to sin also predisposes us to judge others. We don't intend to judge people, we just do it. It is as natural as breathing sometimes. It might come naturally, but it is still wrong. Judging others is wrong, wrong, wrong and we all know it. If we all know it is wrong, then why do we continue to judge? The answer is in finding the opposite to the question. If we weren't to judge others, what WOULD we do? We would have compassion and mercy for them. You can't judge people at the exact same time you are having compassion and mercy for them.

Compassion and mercy do not come as naturally to us as our judgmental attitudes. It is not second nature, for most of us, to have compassion and mercy for our fellow man. This would be contradictory to our sinful nature, therefore compassion and mercy must be something learned rather than trusted to be instinctual. For God, though, it is instinctual. The Bible says that His compassion and mercies are new every morning. To interpret this correctly we must understand WHY His compassion and mercies are new every day. God doesn't wake up with a fresh load of mercy for us. In fact, God doesn't wake up at all; He has the same merciful attitude He had 1,000 years ago. It is the sinful person who rises in the morning NEEDING a renewed dose of mercy and compassion. We are the ones who are granted a new day and God is telling us we are allowed to start over with Him today. Despite the probability of falling into the same sin as yesterday, God allows us to start over fresh, receiving a new bath of compassion and mercy for our dirty, rotten selves. God's bath of compassion and mercy is renewed because our sin is renewed; He gives us a fresh start.

What a wonderful representation of love, to have a renewed sense of compassion and mercy every morning. I know I need it and so do you. This means your fellow man needs renewed compassion and mercy, too, FROM YOU. Your husband or wife needs your renewed compassion and mercy today. Your son or daughter needs renewed compassion and mercy today from you. Your co-working doesn't need judged today, he needs compassion and mercy. Your boss doesn't need your judgmental attitude today, she needs your compassion and mercy. The Bible says that whatever measure you use to judge someone else, it will be used against you. This is referring to the judgment you will receive from God in exchange for what you did to his children, your fellow man. But, your fellow man will also take notice. You know who is judging you; you can feel it in his eyes, in her tone of voice. You also know who has compassion and mercy for you; you've seen it a few times and it refreshes your face. Others notice it, too, when you have compassion for their cause. It is reciprocal.

When you have compassion and mercy on others they will, in turn, be far more willing to give you a little extra wiggle room the day you need it most. Your co-workers will be able to give you some extra compassion on those bad days if you've been generous to them in the past. Your children will have extra mercy for you when you act like a foolish parent, unless you've been too harsh with them for far too long. Your spouse will be more willing to overlook your offenses.

Instead of judging, try having compassion and mercy, even for that foolish person you just can't seem to stand. It's funny, it feels good to have mercy on others, even though it might not feel natural. Do it often enough, and you might replace that judgmental attitude you've been carrying with you your whole life.

1. What is your natural inclination, to judge or to have compassion and mercy for your fellow man?
2. How can you switch to compassion and mercy the moment you begin to judge someone else?
3. How could you go an entire day/week with having nothing but compassion and mercy for others?

Don't take my word for it; look it up: Lam 3:22-23, 2 Sam 24:14,Ps 25:6, Hosea 6:6, Micah 6:8, Zech 7:9, Matt 5:7, Matt 9:13, Matt 7:1, Rom 2:1, Rom 14:9-11, 1 Cor 4:5, Heb 4:12, James 2:4, James 4:11-12