“For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.”
James 2:13
Have you ever been confronted with the saying “Tamper Justice with mercy,” when you’re at liberty to punish an offender, or are rightly positioned to execute judgment? The restraint brought about by the words—for anyone thoughtful, is capable of quenching every dart of bitterness, and proposed venom to be exerted.
It is impossible not to be offended, nor to avoid getting angry in this part of the world. The little times you get to express your emotions when pushed to the limit shouldn’t be a time to prove a point of having a tiny seed of wickedness left in you. When it stings so hard, so much that it gets into your bone and marrow to flex your muscle, and exercise your authority, remember to let mercy speak over judgment.
The voice of mercy reduces the gravity of a punishable offence to portray love in discipline, and not wickedness. Mercy doesn’t necessarily take away the law of “What you sow, you shall reap;” instead, it offers people the chance of repentance for their wrongs, without leaving them to perish.
Charge: Remember God is merciful to those who genuinely ask for mercy.
Further Study: Proverbs 21:21; Micah 6:8; Matthew 5:7, 7:1-2, 9:13; Luke 6:36; Ephesians 2:4-5.
