| "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy" | | | | calling you to avenge yourself, you're mistaken. If |
| (Matthew 5:7)."This verse means if you give mercy, | | | | you suffer for righteousness' sake, rejoice. If you |
| you shall receive it," says Anna, age 9. "It reminds me | | | | suffer for some other reason, repent."Mercy means |
| of the golden rule, 'Do unto others as you would | | | | something that you don't deserve, like if you're in jail |
| have them do unto you.'" The golden rule is still | | | | and the first day, you get out of jail," says Marcus, 8. |
| golden, but Jesus went a step further when he | | | | "This is mercy."Marcus, let's go one step further. |
| spoke of loving your enemies. As Christina, 6, says, | | | | What if the judge who sentenced you to prison paid |
| "If someone is bad to you, forgive them."If you're | | | | your fine? Justice would be served, and you would |
| skeptical about going out of your way to show | | | | be free to go.That's what happened when God sent |
| mercy to someone in need, consider the advice of | | | | his son to pay the penalty for our sins. The way to |
| psychiatrist Karl Menninger. He said the best way to | | | | heaven and fellowship with God is now open, but it's |
| prevent a nervous breakdown is to find a needy | | | | not because God's justice has been compromised by |
| person you can help. For those of us who have lived | | | | his mercy."Blessed are the forgiving, for they shall |
| in a society influenced by Christian compassion, it's | | | | gain kindness and gentle treatment," says Billy, 10. I |
| difficult to imagine the callousness of a pagan | | | | like Billy's interpretation because forgiveness, kindness |
| society."Let there be a law that no deformed child | | | | and gentleness are three faces of mercy.While God's |
| shall be reared," wrote Aristotle in his celebrated | | | | grace toward us is based on his mercy, not ours, it's |
| book "Politics.""We drown even children, who at birth, | | | | also true that the merciful obtain mercy. Although |
| are weakly and abnormal," wrote Seneca, the Roman | | | | God's gift of eternal life can never be withdrawn, |
| philosopher and contemporary of Jesus.In a country | | | | Christians who act unmercifully risk cutting |
| where idol worship is common, I visited a Christian | | | | themselves off from God's blessings of mercy in this |
| couple who started an orphanage for abandoned and | | | | life and rewards in the life to come.Point to ponder: |
| abused children. Some of the abused children came | | | | Because you've received God's mercy, be merciful or |
| to the orphanage because their parents intentionally | | | | gracious to others.Scripture to remember: "Blessed |
| maimed them so that they could beg more | | | | are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy" |
| effectively on the streets.Mercy identifies with the | | | | (Matthew 5:7).Question to consider: Does the mercy |
| needs of others. It's the reverse of selfishness and | | | | you've received from God affect the way you treat |
| self-centeredness. Kinsey, 11, provides a small | | | | others?Carey Kinsolving is a syndicated columnist, |
| example of identifying with the needs of others: | | | | producer, author, speaker and website developer. To |
| "When somebody was out of paper, I gave them a | | | | see Carey's Kid TV Interviews and more, visit The |
| few sheets of paper. Then when I was out of | | | | Kids Talk About God website contains free, online |
| paper, they gave me a few sheets. And that was | | | | content for children and families. Print free lessons |
| my way to obtain mercy."The foundation for | | | | from the "Kids Color Me Bible" and make your own |
| Christian mercy is the fact that we've been forgiven | | | | book. Watch for free the adventures of an |
| a debt too large to calculate. For those who have | | | | 11-year-old girl traveling around the world, visiting |
| received the forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ, | | | | missionaries in the Mission Explorers Streaming Video. |
| there's no room for bitterness or an unforgiving spirit. | | | | Print Bible pictures drawn by kids that illustrate |
| Any wrong we've suffered from others is small | | | | Scripture verses. Receive a complimentary, weekly |
| compared to the debt Jesus paid for us on the | | | | e-mail subscription to our Devotional Bible Lessons. |
| cross.Don't worry about personal injustices. God will | | | | Bible quotations in this column are from the New King |
| settle all accounts. "'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' | | | | James Version. |
| says the Lord" (Romans 12:19). If you think God's | | | | |