I don't Deserve That

by Francine Biere
Published March 2, 2006

"Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy." Matthew 5:7, New American Standard

Part 3
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Ever hear anyone say, "I don't deserve that?" Most of the time, they are talking about something negative. They may be referring to some form of mistreatment, be it from co-workers or supervisors, loved ones, friends, or even strangers. We all feel as if we should be treated respectfully and fairly.

But … everyone knows that life isn't fair. Bad things happen to good people.

Forgiving others, as mentioned previously, is a prerequisite to showing mercy. However, I feel there's an added, hidden blessing here. If we hold onto the anger and resentment caused by those who have hurt or harmed us, we suffer much more than they will. In many cases, they could care less if we are irritated with them. Once we've forgiven them, those infuriating emotions no longer gnaw away at our own peace of mind.

Let's face it; many of the wrongs committed against most of us aren't egregious enough to warrant prosecution. Sometimes that seems to justify holding onto the anger. We want justice.

Even if we put aside all of the guidance our Creator has given us … even if we choose to hold onto the anger, doing so hurts us even more. It's easy for anger to burn within our soul, sometimes simmering until it transforms into bitterness. From personal experience, it's easier to let go of anger than it is to let go of bitterness.

It's like so much of God's guidance in that He blesses us more abundantly than we can ever see in our human perspective. Certainly, we want to be obedient. The truth of the matter is that by following His laws, we find a new contentment and peace. Moreover, if we put it into an eternal perspective, how much will it matter that we were hurt?

It's easy to forget that even though we don't deserve God's mercy, He promises we will receive it. In fact, our Creator's mercy is really a gift freely given out of love. I believe the more we practice the attitude of being merciful to others, the more we will be blessed. However, like all of the beatitudes, everything starts with actively loving God and loving others more than ourselves.

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