July 2, 2024

Paulina De la Fuente
"You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.”
Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭38‬-‭42‬

These verses always come against my inclination to be justice-oriented. God has shown me a pattern of thinking I can fall into that takes over my ability to be gracious, and instead makes me walk into every circumstance weighing the perceived fairness of it. That kind of thinking can consume us with watching to see if we are getting what we think we deserve and waiting to give to others until we decide if they deserve it.

I’m so thankful my faulty thinking is not the way God’s economy works. If it were, Jesus never would have come to earth. He never would’ve spoken to or healed or set free any of the imperfect people He had surrounding Him. He never would’ve bore the cross for our sins — the most unfair and undeserved event in human history.

If God waited until I deserved His grace, I’d never get it. If He waited to work through me until I could do it perfectly, I’d never be able to do it. But God. He overwhelms us with His never-ending grace. Jesus paid the price He didn’t deserve, so that now we can receive what we never deserved — mercy instead of judgment. Thank You God! Help us overflow with Your love to those around us today.