According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, mercy is defined as compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power.
God wants us to show mercy to others, without favoritism. However, in my opinion, this does not mean we have no expectation of what should or should not be done. God gave us the Ten Commandments and we are expected to follow ALL of them, not just some of them (see James 2).
In our homes, at our places of work, wherever we may be, we need to hold one another accountable to the responsibilities we have to see our work to completion, not partially or shoddily done, but wholly and correctly. Yet, we need to handle one another with compassion with these expectations.
It seems many of us today confuse mercy/compassion with leniency. I do not believe leniency is the same thing at all; we should not be yielding to wishes or desires so we can believe what we did or didn’t do is somehow acceptable by today’s standards. We need to hold onto what the Bible says and not change it up to make ourselves feel accomplished or accepted.
If someone does not meet the expectations set, we can show mercy, yet maintain high standards in what we expect to be done. In the same way that God wants us to be accountable and to hold others accountable to his commandments. This is what I see with the verses shared today.
“So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.” ~ James 2:12 NKJV
What do you see with today’s verses?