Mercy Given Us
“Because in deed and in truth we are all one, component parts of the living garment of God, you yourself will ultimately receive the same treatment that you mete out to others; you will receive the same merciful help in your own hour of need from those who are further along the path than you are. Above all it is true that, in freeing others from the weight of your condemnation, you make it possible to absolve yourself from self-condemnation.” Emmet Fox ~ Sermon On the Mount
When I posted this on Facebook I got the response, “so basically, what goes around comes around? treat others the way you want to be treated?” At first glance it seemed that in much fewer words the commenter had summed up Emmet’s statement simply and made it more understandable. But, on closer examination I realized it left out a few key points.
First we are all one. We live individual lives surely. But to think we are not the living body of Christ creates a separation and alienation at times. This can really challenging when we talk about being merciful. When we see ourselves as being separate then we tend to see ourselves as different or special. It can effect the way we look at others and their situations. When we look at the Greek meaning of mercy we get: to help one afflicted or seeking aid . If I see myself as separate I don’t really get the idea of mercy. It becomes their problem and not mine.
Next if I am separate, then I will feel separated. When I am alone who is going to be there for me? If I have to make it on my own, then perhaps all the rest of you have to make it on your own. Where is the mercy then? Will someone even know I need help in my time of need? If I keep myself relying on myself, where am I when I need God’s mercy or the help of the body of Christ? On the other hand if I do my best to be part of the lives that are presented around me each day, I will see opportunities to help someone, to show them mercy.
What happens then in my time of need? Someone who is walking beside me, who has the means and the understanding to help me, will be there when I need them. And I for them, when they need me. The what goes around, comes around part. That which I give out will be dealt back to me in some measure. That which I give our freely and with love often comes back to me amplified by the glory of God.
Not long ago I wrote about people being a mirror to us and how we live our lives. What we see when we look at them, often reminds us of what we don’t want to see in ourselves. They mirror our own fears and weaknesses, often amplified in our minds, but in our hearts we can see that God’s grace is the only thing that keeps us from walking the same journey as we see in them. This is the part when we realize that when we condemn others we will often feel the sting of those things in our life where we fall short. For instance if I where to condemn a friend for their search for success, I might want to look inside for my lack of purpose and goals. I should look closer and see if it is their dedication to their cause that is bothering me, or is it my lack of dedication in my own life that I see when I look at them?
The good news is that God has shown us mercy. We all fall short. We are all only a product of His grace. Jesus has shown us the true meaning of mercy. He gave up his life so that we may live. When it gets down to it we are only asked to love God and love each other. We have received His mercy, therefore we can give His mercy out to others. Where ever we are in our own journey we can look in our “mirrors” and know our own truths and find peace and mercy for ourselves. This is one of God’s greatest gifts and promises in our lives.
Look for ways to help someone afflicted with a struggle as you walk through life. Give from love and caring, not to see what you can get, but because you can help someone on the same journey when you have crossed paths. You will see that often when you need someone to be there in your time of need, there will be someone there to help.
