Mercy Via Full Nelson

Hello Friends,

 

I hope the entry finds each of you well.  I’ve missed writing so I’m especially excited about sharing some thoughts.  Lately, I’ve been wrestling with the Lord.  I don’t know if you’ve ever wrestled with him, but the end result is certain.  He always prevails; we always lose the matches.  I guess it’s that omnipotence thing.

 

Our wrestling has been about my attitude.  I’ve been struggling with it lately.  (This is not a new thing; but, this one has been particularly stubborn.)  Here’s the issue: when life’s going well (well for me that is), my attitude is pretty squared away.  When life’s not going well, my attitude is less than what it should be.  

 

Recently, the struggle has been my judgmental spirit.  In case you’re wondering, 99% of this attitude is hidden.  Most folks wouldn’t have any idea I am battling this attitude.  I still smile and laugh.  I still act appropriately pastoral (whatever that is).  I’m still nice.  Yet inside I had become more and more harsh with others.  I’ve been evaluating and categorizing people with the swiftness of a traffic court magistrate.  Moreover, I’ve been justifying my thoughts by holding up my own “righteousness” as the standard.

 

Hence, the wrestling match.  The Lord started off with subtle moves.  A prick of my conscience here.  A twinge of conviction there.  I found myself apologizing and seeking forgiveness more frequently for judgment words.  Slowly but certainly the Lord was wearing me down.  Then, weakened by his buffeting, He came in for the takedown.

 

Ringing in my spiritual ears one morning were the words of James 2:13.  To pin me the Lord used: “For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”  Match over.  I was riveted by a verse I’d read literally hundreds of times.  My need for mercy is tied to my willingness to give mercy.  If I’m harsh, I effectively cut myself off from the grace covering that I desperately need.

 

Mercy beats judgment.  It is a macro-theme of the Kingdom of God.  It’s woven into every story, parable, teaching, and book of the Bible.  Mercy is whispered as God makes clothes for His wayward boy and girl in the Garden of Eden and is shouted throughout the universe as Jesus dies for the brokenness of each of that couples kids.

 

Mercy.  Mercy.  Mercy.

 

It’s easy for me to function as a judge because I understand so well what everyone else is going through.  I can tell from my brief interactions, sporadic conversations, and two sentence entries on Facebook whether my friends, acquaintances, and the people who attend my church are “walking the line” or not.

 

Kind of sick stuff, huh?  Making judgments about someone else’s priorities and lifestyle with very little information and love that has grown stale.  No, this is not a good place to be.  I’m not saying there isn’t a place for prayerful examination and earnest conversations where the truth is spoken in love.  This must be done.  But I was not interceding deeply and I was not speaking directly in love.  I was silently pronouncing judgment.  And I was grieving the Spirit of God.

 

Mercy is the language of Jesus.  Consider with me.  How did he treat people?  With mercy.  How did He teach?  With mercy.  How did he restore the broken?  With mercy.  The only times that Christ spoke a language other than mercy was when He was zinging the religious elite for…being merciless and judgmental.

 

The Psalmist said: “Your hand is heavy upon me.”  His hands remain heavily placed on my shoulders; I’m stilled press to the mat.  My prayer for days has been, “Lord, change my mind and heart.  I want to think and speak mercy first.  I need mercy.  May it flow freely from me.”

 

Let me share one more thing.  Know why else this is so critical?  This matters so much because my family and my church will be what I am.  I want my own children to live mercy.  I want them to give mercy to one another and to others.  I want theBridge to be a place of love, acceptance, and forgiveness.  Mercy is the soil these can grow in.  I want to pastor a church of merciful men and women – not a panel of judges.  They’ll turn out like me.  “Help, Daddy, help!”

 

Mercifully yours,

Tim

Comments

[nle]

Tim,

James 5:16 and 1 John 1:8-10.

Your Father loves you!!!

(Father, I am sorry...Please forgive me too.)

nle

[NLT]

Pastor Tim:

If we were honest with ourselves, I am sure all of us would be taking ownership of judgmentalism. I am with you when you say, "Help, Daddy, Help!"

And the "Good News" is:

“Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning” (Lamentations 3:23).

"...The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.... "

It is not in the offering of a sacrifice that God today finds pleasure, but in the goodness of those things which proceed from the hearts of His people.

Psalms 40:6; 69:30, 31
Micah 6:6-8
Mark 12:33, 34
Hebrews 10:6, 8

I am certain that he is very pleased with Tim's heart right now.

You have blessed me today.

God Bless You.

You are loved.

[James Acly]

OK. I'll stop it.

[Sandy]

Tim,

I am wrestling myself. I stood ironing and God gave me the thought to come and read your blog. As I was ironing my mind was racing with judgmental thoughts and anger towards others was welling up within me. I appreciate the reminder that I am to continually extend mercy,and even, maybe especially, to those toward whom I feel justifiable anger. I join you in the prayer, "Daddy, help me." Thanks for being so open and for sharing at the gut level.