God is merciful. He is willing to forgive us when we do wrong, and love us despite our faults. It can be difficult to understand how God loves us unconditionally, even when we do things that we know He doesn’t want us to do. We’re used to the way of the world that says to punish those who wrong you, and not to forgive them. Holding a grudge and getting revenge when possible is often the default position, a foregone reaction to an offense. It goes against the grain for us to decline the urge to strike back or nurse anger.
Jesus speaks of a different way in Luke Chapter 6, verses 35 and 36. He says, “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” [KJV Bible]
When we yield to God’s will for us, our flesh isn’t happy. It’s not comfortable to deny ourselves the “right” to be angry and unforgiving to people who hurt us. But the more we do it, the easier it gets. God calls us to show who He is to the people around us. God loves us unconditionally, and He doesn’t withhold forgiveness from us. When we recognize how often God has forgiven us, it helps us to have mercy on other people.