Healed soul produces mercy
I have a unique perspective when it comes to many of the topics covered in the beatitudes, taught by Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount, because these Kingdom standards lay out how Christians are to think, feel and behave in the world, and as a professional counselor, I have heard thousands of stories from my clients over the years pertaining to how they think, feel, and behave. One life issue that was a very popular topic was the idea of what a person deserves. Sometimes it was in regard to marriage (or any type of romantic relationship), my clients would be very upset with how they were being treated or perhaps how their significant other failed to met their needs, and they would say things like, “I don’t deserve this, I deserve better, I deserve to be happy.”Often these words of frustration were followed up by the behavior of being unkind to their significant other in return, or simply the action of ending the relationship, based on these thoughts and feelings, what they believed they deserved.
Other times it was more related to a family member, your parents, or friend that hurt them or betrayed them in some way, and the client would be struggling to offer them forgiveness stating, “They do not deserve my forgiveness, what if I forgive them and they just hurt me again, they didn’t even say they were sorry.”
And yet, there were other discussions that were on a broader scale, a client that was particularly motivated for social or political justice declaring over their opponents, “I hope they get what they deserve.”
Although I could empathize with how my clients were feeling, I could also recognize how these comments were coming from a woundedness inside of them. It is difficult to embrace and demonstrate this mandate to have mercy for others when someone is operating from a place of hurt or offense. As we mature in faith and grow in God’s love, we must renew our minds with His word and come to view ourselves and others through a biblical perspective. When we view our lives through a human lens, it is clouded and distorted by the hurts, wounds, and offenses in our soul, and it becomes nearly impossible to treat others in Christ-like ways.
Scripture states all issues of life flow from the human heart (Proverbs 4:23), twenty years of counseling has proven this biblical principle to be true. One of the teachings, that has produced many miracles in the lives of my clients is a practical, step-by-step guide to healing the wounds of your soul. Sometimes, traumatic and abusive wounds may require the assistance of a trained professional or an experienced deliverance ministry, but the training I offer is helpful and even life-changing for most people who are willing to receive it, and apply it to their life. You can find this teaching in my book, “It’s Time for a Revolution” as well as my online class, which has virtual lessons and a downloadable PDF to help you process and apply the information in a very practical way. These resources can be found on my website, www.kingdommindset.global. Everyone in the world becomes hurt or offended through how we sin against one another, hurt ourselves and sin against God, and it happens over and over. So, it is vital that we, the Church, learn to heal these wounds of our soul so that we can function from a place of love and mercy.
Without healing, our mind and emotions become deceived into thinking and believing in ways that would directly defy the Word of God, such as making ourselves the judge of what others deserve. But truth that says, as Christians, we are to have mercy and forgiveness for others, despite the ways they have hurt us. Just as Christ suffered and died for us, while we were yet sinners. Just as God has mercy for us, while we are rebelling and being disobedient. It is so crucial for our overall well-being and for the on-going growth in our relationship with God, that we submit to and deeply understand this command: have mercy for others, so that you may receive mercy (Matthew 5:7).