Five minute Friday!
GO
When I saw our word for today it stopped my heart. Ok...not REALLY, but I have a love/hate relationship with mercy. I have always heard that the difference between grace and mercy is that grace is getting what you DON'T deserve and mercy is NOT getting what you DO deserve.
I have a problem accepting either.
As a recovering legalist, it is hard for me to accept that you are not unbelievably and brutally punished when you so colossally screw up. I am awed by the fact that my marriage is still intact after years of selfish behavior. I DESERVE to be punished. I am awed further still by the fact that I get to serve in a church community and able to minister in any kind of way that is effective when, truth be told, I am a hot mess most of the time. I DESERVE to be cut off.
But I am learning that HIS mercy is my life-giving source of strength to carry on and to try again and keep on going, learning, laughing and loving.
In HIS mercy, I am free.
STOP
PS...timer just went off. This was HARD!!! :)
2 comments:
I love how you differentiate grace and mercy here... I have never heard it put that way before. Thank you for the strength you have provided this morning. Great post!
I've heard it put that way for years too.
His grace and mercy are far beyond our understanding as are all His ways, but how sweet that He pours them out for us to partake and He just keeps pouring. New every moment. Never ever ending!
Praise Him!!
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