Mercy: A Lost Attribute Among Christians?

Why do we as Christians often times relish in another person’s troubles? Why is it when a person is honest, open, transparent, we more often than not judge, wonder what they did to tick off God, or offer advice not helpful to the one going through troubles? We tell everyone that it’s good they left, they never belonged, they probably were not even Christians.   We use it as gossip in the name of a “prayer request.” Is that truly what the Bible teaches? Is it how Christ or anyone in scripture responded?

I realize in scripture, among the gifts listed, is the gift of mercies, but if we are a new creation at the time of regeneration, and we are to be more like Christ, isn’t mercy, or hurting for those in pain, a big part of who we are? Instead we treat Christians who are hurting, possibly even leaving the church, like those who crucified Christ treated him. We yell “crucify them, crucify them.” And then we do.

Let’s take Paul as an example, In Romans 9, there was false doctrine coming in to the church, there were many Jews not saved, yet Paul didn’t hate them, he hurt for them, praying for them so deeply that his spirit was moaning. In Romans for example, he wished he could trade places with them rather than them go to hell.

Christ wept over Jerusalem(Matthew 23:7), who He knew was going to be destroyed shortly. He mourned for them, yet they were a wicked people.

The Bible says that God never basks in the pain of another, never. God does not even rejoice when anyone goes to hell. He is a Holy God, and because of this, judgment must be met for those who have rejected the One, who is Jesus Christ, who came to reconcile us to God. And although He allows us as Christians to go through rejection, pain and suffering, it’s always for a reason, for His glory, and never to harm or punish. That was taken care of by Christ and the cross.

Let’s consider all of this when basking in the hurt of others who we disagree with. Let us hurt for them, pray for them a healing of their Spirit. Not a stomping of those who are hurting. I quoted a line from a blog written by Pastor Glenn that haunted me at the time I wrote it and still haunts me now, making my point. He wrote:

When the church is your false god, getting rejected by a church (not the Church) feels like, well, being sentenced to hell.

It’s like being sentenced to hell. Is that how we should make anyone who is a born again Christian feel? Is this how we define victory? I can’t. The Bible doesn’t.

If the Church is going to grow and build the Kingdom, then this is the first step we as Christians must take, if not we will fall, we will fail, and God will still be building His Kingdom, just without using us. His plans never fail, even when we do in our sin.

I leave you with this passage from 1 John 4: 19-21:

Jn 4:19  We love because he first loved us.
1Jn 4:20  If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
1Jn 4:21  And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Something more to think about.