SPEAKER_00: Mercy is often hardest to show when someone has hurt us.
SPEAKER_00: Our natural response is to hold on to the offense, protect ourselves, or hope they get what they deserve.
SPEAKER_00: But Jesus calls his followers to something different.
SPEAKER_00: Speaking to people who knew rejection, injustice, and real enemies, he said in Luke 6, 36, be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
SPEAKER_00: God's mercy is the model for our own.
SPEAKER_00: He has shown us patience when we deserve judgment, kindness when we had nothing to offer, and forgiveness at great cost through Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: As we receive his mercy, he teaches us to extend that same mercy to others.
SPEAKER_00: It isn't about ignoring what is wrong, it's about reflecting the heart of our Heavenly Father.
SPEAKER_00: Begin by thanking God for his mercy toward you.
SPEAKER_00: Praise him for his patience, his compassion, and the countless times he has forgiven and cared for you.
SPEAKER_00: Thank him that his love has never been based on what you deserve.
SPEAKER_00: Now bring before the Lord someone who has disappointed, hurt, or frustrated you.
SPEAKER_00: Tell him honestly how you feel and ask him to soften your heart.
SPEAKER_00: Pray that he would help you see that person through his eyes and replace resentment with compassion.
SPEAKER_00: Ask him to help you choose mercy even when it's difficult.
SPEAKER_00: Let go of the need to make everything right yourself, and allow these words to settle in your heart.
SPEAKER_00: Be merciful just as your Father is merciful.
SPEAKER_00: And now pray for them.
SPEAKER_00: Ask God to bless them, draw them closer to Himself, and work in their life in ways that bring healing, wisdom, and hope.
SPEAKER_00: Pray that His goodness would be evident to them.
SPEAKER_00: Help us reflect your heart in the way we treat others.
SPEAKER_00: Teach us to forgive, to love, and to extend mercy as you have extended mercy to us.
SPEAKER_00: May our lives point people to the kindness of our Heavenly Father.
SPEAKER_00: In Jesus' name, amen.