What would Jesus do (WWJD)?
This phrase became popular for Christians to wear as a bracelet to remind them to make decisions and choices like Jesus.
Jesus saw people differently than you and I do. He saw others through eyes of unconditional love; whereas, more often than not, we see others through eyes of judgement, envy, and selfishness.
There are many examples of this in the Bible.
For instance, John 8 (NIV) in the New Testament tells us of a time when Jesus encountered an angry crowd who was in the process of condemning a woman they accused of committing adultery. The hostile crowd turned to Jesus, exclaiming: “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”
Instead of being influenced by the anger of the hostile crowd and taking the route of punishment, Jesus displayed MERCY towards the woman, saying: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Once the crowd dissipated, Jesus and the woman were left alone. He told her: “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Mercy means “a mission or act performed to alleviate the suffering of others.” People saw the woman through eyes of judgement, as someone disposable. Jesus saw her through eyes of love, as someone who needed redeemed.
Do you see broken people as an annoyance…or an opportunity to be a blessing? Do you see people for their problems or their potential?
I have had people hurt me deeply in my life, and it has taken me years to look at them without pain and anger. I was shunned, made fun of, and hurt by various individuals in my high school years. Unfortunately, I held on to that hurt into my adult years. I didn’t go back to any of my class reunions. When I saw posts from them on social media, I still looked at them as those “mean girls” from high school.
I was not loving them the way God loves. I was not seeing them through God’s eyes. I was not seeing them for who they are today.
That, my friends, is called unforgiveness, not Mercy!
What if instead of judging someone first by how they look, or how they have affected me in the past, I chose to look at them first as a child of God?
If I chose Mercy?
If I intentionally open my eyes to see people as a child of God first, would that change the way I interact with them? Because God loves that person just as much as he loves me!
So how do I see through eyes of Mercy when I am angry and hurt?
I first start with my own heart. I ask myself, how am I choosing to look at the person? Am I looking through eyes of past hurt and anger, or am I looking through eyes of God’s love, grace, and mercy?
Then, I pray. In my daily prayers, I ask God to help me start seeing people as He sees them. I ask him to help me be more patient and loving with those around me.
My friend, it is a freeing feeling to take the focus off myself and use God’s perspective to see others and their situation rather than how it affects me.
When we see others through mercy’s eyes, we see through eyes of love. We see the needs that others don’t see and we go beyond what others would expect.
When we see others with eyes of Mercy, we will both depend on and participate with God in meeting the needs of others.
Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged;
condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Luke 6:36-37 ESV
With love and joy,
Laura
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