A mother once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offense twice and justice demanded death. 

"But I don't ask for justice," the mother explained. "I plead for mercy." 

"But your son does not deserve mercy," Napoleon replied. 

"Sir," the woman cried, "it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for." 

"Well, then," the emperor said, "I will have mercy." And he spared the woman's son. 

Mercy. It's not just a word we use when we're caught in a choke-hold or need a pardon from our mistakes. That's the problem, we tend to have our focus on self-centered mercy, instead of being focused on others-centered mercy. It's been said that mercy is a commodity that everyone desires but no one wants to give. But the fact of the matter is that we all need it. Would you expect that the minute after his pardon the young man was drawn to others who needed mercy as well? Do you think he went straight to a beggar to feed him or to an outcast to love her? Chances are he thanked his good fortune and went about enjoying his new found freedom. How often are you and I enjoying the freedom that mercy affords us in Christ while denying it to others?

Relationships tend to be an excellent testing ground for where we should be living out mercy. I ask you to examine your relationships with family, friends, spouse, etc. through the statements below. Take your time and allow God to show you how each statement reveals where you are at currently in your relationship. (taken from "Relationships a Mess Worth Making" - Lane/Tripp)

- Mercy means you expect suffering in your relationships and are willing to endure it.

- Mercy means you are willing to live with the poor.

- Mercy means you resist the temptation to favoritism.

- Mercy means you are committed to persevere in hardship.

- Mercy rejects a "personal happiness" agenda.

- Mercy means you live with a commitment to forgive.

- Mercy means you overlook minor offenses.

- Mercy does not compromise what is morally right and true.

From this list I see the failures of my heart to show mercy in my relationships. I have complained instead of endured. I have avoided the poor. I have spent time with the easy and popular instead of the outcasts. I have been more concerned about feeling good and being right then sacrificial and patient love. I have looked deep into the small annoyances and missed the bigger blessings. I have been unmerciful.

You and I need mercy in relationships. We also need mercy in this world. Go back through the list and think of your community, think of foreign countries and children who need the mercy God has given us to live out. We are emissaries and ambassadors meant for more then delivering a message, we were meant to live the message of Jesus Christ. We are meant to live out mercy until it is no longer needed, and frankly, that means we can never stop.

Use the freedom God has given you by His mercy to live out mercy in this broken and needy world!

-Josh