“The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.” (Proverbs 11:17)
Why are men so unmerciful? I believe it is because we are trained from our youth to be competitive and to never show weakness. When I was a twelve-year old in Little League, we were beating a team 20-3 and had started goofing off like eleven and twelve year olds do. Our coach called a time-out and rushed all players to the pitcher’s mound for a team conference. He cursed in anger and he commanded us to have no mercy for the opposing team; he wanted to utterly demolish them. As a boy on the cusp of adolescence, I was very impressionable and incorporated his admonition into my beliefs. Even to this day, one of my major character flaws is that I can be cruel and unmercifully competitive. I have very little patience for weakness. This proverb is the antithesis of everything society has taught me as a man. Proverbs 11:17 instructs me to be merciful in order to do good to my soul. If I am cruel, I will trouble my own flesh. Showing love, kindness and mercy is not weakness. Any coward can be unmerciful and cruel, but it takes a godly man to swallow his pride and act in obedience to God’s Word. Show mercy to others in need of it, and you will receive it yourself as well. After all, what Christian hasn’t experienced the mercy of a forgiving God. If God is willing to forgive us and show us mercy, then how much more ought we extend the same grace to others? Are we greater than God?
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