A Desire For Mercy

A Desire For Mercy “Why do you want to help everybody? You should be taking care of yourself.” “I know she’s depressed because she’s taken a few steps back. But I can’t give up on helping her to keep moving forward.” “Can you see that she needs me? You, however, are doing just fine!” We hear our family members take offense when we reach out to help outside of our own circle. We may gripe and complain that we are ignored, but could it be our eyes are set on selfish desires that make us blind? What makes us take offense to being charitable to those in need? Jesus said to His apostles, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means. I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Let us go and learn what it means to have a merciful heart. Invite others close to you to join you in a life that resembles that of Christ. Sit a table of the less desirable. Stop to talk to one who is sitting alone in a corner at a party. Get up off the couch and walk into a hospital or an assisted living facility to visit the sick and lonely. Pay more attention to those who are hurting in your home. And praise and teach those in your life who are doing well. Encourage them to share their success, knowledge and good heart. It is human nature to desire to have our egos stroked. But at the end of the day, our sense of self can only be measured by the scope of our spiritual desire to help, inspiring thoughts and compassionate deeds. God gave us the capability to be merciful beyond our comprehension. Human nature naturally works to bring happiness to self. The human spirit naturally works to bring joy to others. Jesus is calling you to follow Him. In the quiet of your life you will hear Him. Go with a merciful heart and learn what this means. Matthew 9:9-13 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners."