The Look of Mercy

Written by Sheryl Shaffer

 Consider this… Can our children see genuine Christ likeness in us?  Knowing that every child relates to their parents in a like manner that they will later relate to God, ought to bring serious consternation for every parent who calls themselves “a Christian”. 

We live in a culture of verbal abuse, rudeness and pride.   We hear the daily barrage of publically shared opinion on talk radio and television and the criticism that accompanies those conversations is anything but edifying.  These kinds of conversations are considered acceptable... even profitable and have now become a way of thinking in our society.  Everyone’s opinion on any subject is now free fodder for questioning and debate.  That attitude has even infiltrated the Lord’s churches and our children are picking it up.

The spirit of this kind of banter shows no mercy at all!  We learn and assimilate this type of conversation by listening to it everyday from the culture around us.  We must guard our hearts and minds, so as not to bring this spirit of the world into our own homes.  A dad driving to work and keeping himself alert by listening to political talk radio can pick up an attitude toward people and authorities just like his child can playing with the next door neighbor’s children in his own backyard!  Before we know it, we can be throwing around the same verbal slap downs and sarcasms in our home that permeate the airwaves and the culture around us.

A stay-at-home mom who calls herself a Christian should not sit idly  and let daily television talk fests feed her ideals and opinions with their rude, abrasive banter on all subjects lewd or crude!  Be discerning enough to realize that the women doing the “discussions” are lacking in all things that pertain to godliness so why do we sit at their feet and listen?

I am appalled at the rude way that I hear people talk to their children.  There are so few tones of respect or mercy in their speech.  The sad part of all this, is that most adults,  and parents in particular, would be outraged if friends, neighbors  or bosses used the same kind of  smack talk or sarcastic put downs when addressing them.   But their children can hear it everyday...from their own parents.  

What has happened to mercy?  The book of Psalms is loaded with the theme of “mercy”.  David cried out for it.  “Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.” Psalm 31:9   He longed for it.  “Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.” Psalm 30:10   He praised God for it and rejoiced to have received it from the Lord.   “Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.” Psalm 66:20     How can we say that we are “Christians”----like Christ, and yet our children never hear mercy in our voices.   What is the message of our tone of voice?  Often, the tone speaks louder than the words themselves.   If our God is merciful to us and we have experienced His forgiveness through repentance and faith, then why can we not show Christ-like mercy to our children?  

Where would we be without the mercy of God?  “But thou, O LORD, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”  Psalm 86:15    We need His mercy.   We cannot live without it.  I submit to you that our children need to see this Christ-like characteristic in us.....everyday.  Show your family how mercy looks, feels and sounds.  Practice being merciful to others.  Extend mercy to another struggling family.  Be a help and encouragement to them.  Let your children see mercy in action!  In our attempt to “protect” our children from “bad children” (and well we should), we can become nothing more than Pharisees in our seclusion.  You protect your children by teaching them the principles that Jesus lived by and by showing them HOW to be an example of mercy.  How will they ever know who Jesus Christ really is, if they cannot see Him in us? 

Lamentations 3:21-23   “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.   They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

We can show Christ to our children everyday, by our expressions and kind tones of mercy.  We can demonstrate a merciful spirit by how we respond to the trials, shortcomings and failures of our family as well as other people.   Mercy is not permissiveness. Mercy cares enough to help!  Because of the LORD’S mercies toward us, He does not consume us in His anger and wrath or disassociate Himself from us.  His compassion toward us is unfailing.  He tries to draw us back to Himself in very real and obvious ways…if we will but listen and respond to Him.

In this present world of harsh rebuke, opinionated conversation and constant questioning of all authority, listen to your own self.  Discern your own tone of voice.  Examine your own compassion toward the people in your life.

Our children are watching us …. They are picking up on our attitudes through our tone of voice and facial expressions.  Be extremely critical of the inputs of this world that influence you!   You too, can be changed by the things that influence you as well.

Through our exercising of discipline toward our children, will they see Christ and hear our great love, mercy and compassion extended to them?