Meanness and Mercy

Here’s the problem. Whether it’s a couple of pence or a billion pounds, it’s in my heart to defraud, steal and lie.  There are a million ways to do it.  A million opportunities. Not pointing out the cashier’s mistake. Taking home the office stapler.  Keeping the change.

No-one will know.

It’s not like I’d be shoplifting.  I’m not one of those people.

And what’s to stop me? Well, a couple of things actually.

the threat of the security camera.

the embarrassment and shame.

an inbuilt caution.

my mum.

a headmaster God, waggling His finger and threatening me with bad karma.

What doesn’t stop me is this:

A heart that loves Jesus and trusts in Him to provide.

And that’s the problem. Why?

Not just because I’m scared of His sanctions.

Not because He helps me be more moral.

But because I’ve got Him already.  He loves me and He has hold of me and that changes everything.

My heart is not at rest.  I struggle to see what is already mine. But even as I’m tight-fisted, His arms are wide open.

And even as I Don’t Get It,

He’s got me.

2 thoughts on “Meanness and Mercy

  1. “But because I’ve got Him already. He loves me and He has hold of me and that changes everything, My heart is not at rest. I struggle to see what is already mine. But even as I’m tight-fisted, His arms are wide open.
    And even as I Don’t Get It.

    There’s a lot there: If you KNOW He has you already and that nothing can snatch you from His hand; it’s pretty easy to think “I can do whatever’. Yet when you believe He DOES have you, you SHOULDN’T want to ‘do whatever’.

    It’s hard to reconcile, isn’t it?

  2. Absolutely: but grace knocks out the shoulds and shouldn’ts – and it leads us to the wants. Sometimes!

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