James 2:12-13 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

We don’t like to think about being judged, but it’s going to happen to all of us. This is one of the many areas where we “reap what we sow.” (Galatians 6:7-8) Some people seem to be judgmental by personality, but I think that has a lot to do with how they were raised. A major issue for parents, and one where they often stumble, is in setting standards of behavior without being judgmental. Bad behavior is to be checked, and when necessary punished, but bad behavior doesn’t indicate a bad child. It is my observation that when parents make that distinction consistently, the children not only grow up happy and well-adjusted, they are not judgmental. Attacking someone for who they are instead of what they have done is called an ad hominem attack, and we see it between politicians all the time. That’s no way to live, much less run a country! Sadly, it can win elections, not by winning so much as by making the other person lose. I’m glad I won’t have to answer for those people in the judgment that James is talking about here! We have the expression, “revenge is sweet,” but mercy is ultimately much sweeter, and not just in the long run. It is far easier to live with yourself when you have been merciful than when you have not!

I try to live a merciful life, but I can’t say I always succeed. It is painful indeed when I see people I love and care about being less than merciful, but I am aware of my own failures in that area. I need to help people understand the distinction between bad action and a bad person. To do that we have to recognize that we ourselves are worthy of death, but God in His grace and mercy has provided salvation through the cross of Jesus Christ. The better we grasp that, the easier it is to be gracious and merciful toward those around us. We so often forget that in the heat of the moment! This is not at all the same as saying anything goes; we are to hold strongly to Biblical standards and principles. However, we need to remember that we ourselves don’t measure up fully to the very standards we hold!

Father, I am continually impressed by, and grateful for, Your grace and mercy toward me. Help me be an open, and unpolluted, channel of that grace and mercy toward those around me, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!