Sunday Tidbit: God’s mercy, a two-sided coin

      When we think of mercy, we think of God’s love and forgiveness, especially the richness of His mercy toward us in Christ Jesus, “For by grace we are saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). By His steadfast love, His mercies never end and are renewed each morning. As King David exclaimed, “Great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

     There is, however, another side of the coin. Like a natural father, our heavenly Father is interested in the development and maturity of His sons and daughters. Rather than bailing us out, He often allows us to face ourselves in the mirror and learn from our mistakes. This builds character and yields wisdom from our experience. At other times, the Father brings about correction: “For whom the Lord loves, He chastens as His own son” (Hebrews 12:6). 

     When we overcome the challenges we face, we grow stronger and stand taller. After learning the lesson, we receive God’s favor and blessings; greater maturity brings greater responsibility. He is always watching over us, offering guidance when needed. 

     For example, I began smoking cigarettes at 16. When I entered the military at 18, my habit continued. Even after I received Jesus Christ at 27, it persisted. Sometimes the pastor would preach about the sin of smoking; after that, he would give the altar call, “Repent, and cast your cigarettes upon the altar, and God will set you free.” Each time, I would do so.

    But it wasn’t long after church ended before the cravings returned. So off to the store I went to replenish my supply. I never felt convicted, but I felt ashamed of smoking. I wanted to give them up, yet whenever I felt emotionally high or low, I reached for one. They were especially comforting after a meal. Mentally, they were a crutch I leaned on. Physically, I had to endure nicotine withdrawal symptoms, which I found hard to overcome. 

    One day I realized a profound truth: “I don’t need cigarettes anymore!” Somewhere along my walk with God, I had been weaned from the insecurity I knew as a child. No longer needing a crutch, I had grown stronger in my walk with Christ, giving me the confidence to “Let go and let God.” God could have removed this habit at my salvation, but in His mercy, He allowed me to go through the process of maturing to bring the healing I needed since childhood. 

   In another instance, as a young Christian, I owned a 1965 Mustang. I asked the Lord for a set of chrome rims with wide tires. It wasn’t long before the $400 I needed came in from an unexpected source! I was proud to drive my custom Mustang until I got a flat tire. I soon learned that because of the special rims, most garages couldn’t remove the rims to fix the tires. This happened to me three times. Frustrated, I asked the Lord, “Why did you allow me to have these rims?” His answer was, “Because you asked me.” (Be careful what you ask for!)

   Out of our compassion and mercy, we often bail others out of their situations. In doing so, we often interfere with God’s master plan for them. Like a revolving door, many people go round in circles, going nowhere fast. In these cases, God will ask me to take my “hands off the situation,” so He can help them confront the issue that will enable them to break their cycle and move forward. Sometimes God has to fix our fix. It is not our job to fix everyone; that’s His job.

    It has been said, “We are in training for reigning.” What natural father would give his 12-year-old children the keys to the family car? Like a good Father, God often protects us from ourselves. The Father is maturing us so we can handle more of His glory, authority, and anointing. Yes, He desires His children to prosper, but He is more interested in our Godly character than in our comfort or prosperity. The apostle James tells us, 

     “Rejoice and count it pure joy when facing trials… knowing that the trying of your faith works patience. But let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and lack nothing” (James 1:1-4).

    This too is the mercy and grace of God for your life, that you may grow up into the fullness and stature of the person you are called to be in Christ Jesus.

    In His grace with love, Roy Roden

Eastgate Ministries. Email:info@eastgateoffice.org