The Beatitudes (5)

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matthew 5:7
Following the progression, as we submit our lives to God, and a hunger and thirst for righteousness develops, we will become more like Him. One of God’s key attributes is that He is merciful. It is only because of God’s mercy that the world has not been destroyed already.
We all need to remember where we have come from. Or, if we were saved at an early age and there is no ‘before’ in our testimony (as is my case), where we could have ended up if it wasn’t for the Lord. If we have this perspective, we won’t be looking down self-righteously on other people.
Having mercy means to climb into someone else’s skin. Think of how Jesus had compassion on the crowds of people who “were like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36). He imagined Himself in their situation – a fruitless, aimless existence, harassed and helpless – and reached out to them to offer something far better.
We have been given a second chance by God – to no longer live for sin but live for His glory. Let’s reach out to offer others that same chance. God hasn’t given up on them, and neither should we.