Topic: Wise People Choose Mercy [RICK WARREN Devotional 24 July 2024]
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Wise People Choose Mercy
BY RICK WARREN — JULY 24, 2024
FROM YOU MAKE ME CRAZY
“Love forgets mistakes; nagging about them parts the best of friends.”
Proverbs 17:9 (TLB)
The Bible says wisdom “is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds” (James 3:17 NLT). In other words—even when people mess up, sin, fumble, and fail—it’s wise to show grace.
God is both the wisest and most merciful being in the universe. Everything you have in life—even your next breath—is a gift from him. If we got what we deserved, we wouldn’t be alive. Yet God gives us exactly what we need, not what we deserve. He’s full of mercy.
In the same way, wise people give others what they need, not what they deserve. Wise people don’t emphasize other’s mistakes; instead, wise people are merciful. They cut people slack—because they know God cuts them slack all the time.
When you judge, you’re being foolish. But when you’re merciful, you’re reflecting God.
Proverbs 17:9 says, “Love forgets mistakes; nagging about them parts the best of friends” (TLB).
I saw a beautiful example of this in Mike, a man who had been on the Saddleback facilities staff for many years. I ran into him on the day he and his wife, Sally, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Sally was getting ready to drive off, so I walked over to her car to congratulate her. I asked her, “What is the secret of a 50-year marriage?” She looked at me and said, “Pastor, I never tried to change him.”
After she drove off, I walked over to Mike and said, “Mike, what’s the secret to 50 years of marriage?” He said, “I never tried to change her.”
Through 50 years of marriage, Sally and Mike surely had seen each other fumble and fail many times. But, instead of foolishly judging, they chose, as Proverbs 17:9 says, to forget each other’s mistakes. They wisely showed mercy over and over again.
Today, tomorrow, and the next day, choose to show mercy to the people around you. Living a wise life that’s full of mercy will pay great dividends for you in the long run.
Talk It Over
- When did someone show you mercy rather than giving you what you deserved? What effect did that have on your life?
- Where do you see evidence of God’s mercy in your life?
- In what relationship have you been judgmental instead of merciful? What’s one practical way you can offer mercy to that person today?
Where will you spend eternity?
Your sins separate you from God. And it is only God’s grace that allows you back into a right relationship with him.
The Bible says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).If you’re ready accept God’s grace, then pray this prayer:
“Dear Jesus, I don’t want my sin to separate me from you any longer. You have promised that if I believe in you, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.
“I confess my sin, and I believe you are my Savior. You have promised that if I confess my sin and trust you, I will be saved. I believe you when you say salvation comes by grace, through faith, and not by anything I do. I receive you into my life as my Lord. Today, I’m turning over every part of my life to your management.
“I want to live the way you created me to live and use the rest of my life to serve you instead of serving myself. I commit my life to you and ask you to save me and accept me into your family. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
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