Whose side are you on?

“Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. ‘I’ll do the judging,’ says God. ‘I’ll take care of it.'”

Romans 12:19(MSG)

“But God, they’re wrong.” I whined in response to God so distinctly telling me to forgive and move on.

“You know they’re wrong. Can you tell them for me?” I asked God as if that was a stipulation to me forgiving and moving on. Because, ya know, they needed to know I’m right.

“What would you rather have, baby girl, a chance to be right or a chance to be merciful?” I knew the correct answer, but the true answer was I wanted to be right.

I let out a huff. There was no need to respond. God was right, as usual. I never win a debate with Him. So I tried my best to settle the issue in my heart and move my thoughts to a different topic.

Later that evening I opened my Bible to do my evening devotions. I immediately landed on Psalm 118:6.

“The Lord is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?”

I thought, oh wow, God is confirming that I am indeed in the right and He is on my side.

Until I began to write the verse down in my notebook and expound on my revelation. I then realized my revelation was not at all what I was about to write.

God sweetly said, “I am for them.”

“Them” being the people who also love the Lord, but still managed in their own humanity to do me wrong. God was still for them. Just because they messed up didn’t make Him stop advocating for them.

“But what about me, God?” I could hear the infantilism dripping in my voice. I winced at the sound of it.

“I am for you, too. But one of you is going to have to be mature enough to listen.” Ouch. “What about all the times you were wrong and I was still for you?” God had clearly made His point.

“…God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31

If God was truly for the opposing party, I sure did not want to be against them. Who am I to go up against God?

My dad has always told me that you can be right and wrong at the same time. Right in what you said, but wrong in how you said it. I felt that ideology come to life and I hadn’t even said anything.

God was telling me all the reasons why I should keep it that way.

“You’re right, God. I’ll take the chance to be merciful.”

When we are merciful to people that wrong us, we join God’s stance. I never want to be God’s adversary. I always want God to be on my side even when I’m wrong. Because I am positive I’ll be wrong again in the future. I’m going to need mercy at some point. It’s best to make sure I am also willing to give it when I have the chance.

When you are truly right, the truth will eventually come out. You’ll be right in what you said and right in how you said it. Merciful makes you double right.

In other instances, sometimes we think we are right even when we’re in the wrong. Stepping back and giving mercy to the other person allows us to truly examine our own heart and gives us the proper perspective and maturity to see that we may even be the one who is wrong.

At the end of the day- God is for you. He is on your side. But that doesn’t mean that He has forgotten the person that hurt you. He is on their side too. Loving them in their fault, just as He loves you in yours.

“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone…” John 8:7(NIV)

Until the day we no longer require mercy, it’s best to let mercy be our first reaction to offense. You’ll never regret showing mercy. It allows God to fight for you.

He’s the only one that can see both sides of the story. He’s the only one with the ability to change hearts. He’s the only one Holy enough to make judgements.

Show mercy. It determines whose side you’re on.

Be blessed!