Why show mercy

1. God has shown me mercy.

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. —Ephesians 2:4-5 (NLT)

2. The mercy I get is tied to the mercy I give.

“Shouldn’t you have treated the other servant as mercifully as I treated you?” —Matthew 18:33 (GWT)

3. Showing mercy eventually brings happiness.

The merciful man does good for his own soul, but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh. —Proverbs 11:17 (NKJV)

So you must show mercy to others, or God will not show mercy to you when he judges you. But the person who shows mercy can stand without fear at the judgment. —James 2:13 (NCV)

How to show mercy

1. Be patient with peoples quirks.

Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. —Ephesians 4:2 (TLB)

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. —James 3:17 (NLT)

2. Help those around you who are hurting.

Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it. —Proverbs 3:27 (GNT)

3. Do good to those who hurt me.

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. —Luke 6:35-36 (NIV)

4. Give people another chance.

Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don’t yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude. Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ. —Ephesians 4:31-32 (CEV)

Discussion Questions

1. When are you least likely to show mercy? Why do you think that is?

2. When someone has hurt you, what are some things you do to help you work through the pain and show mercy?

3. How do we show mercy while not encouraging irresponsibility?

4. Do we show people mercy so God will show us mercy, or does God show us mercy so we will show people mercy?