“The merciful man does good for his own soul, but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh” (Proverbs 11:17).
Because of sin, we often are our own worst enemy. We can self-sabotage quickly and with great devastation.
How you think about and relate to others can be the wisest or worse decisions of your life. Note the example given in the proverb above.
Being merciful to others—refusing to allow the deadly spiritual toxins of bitterness, resentment, and vengeance take up long term residence in your heart—is one of this world’s greatest self-help measures. Not only is being merciful an essential way that God’s children are to imitate their heavenly Father (Eph. 4:32-5:1), it is an excellent and practical avenue of preventative medicine. Being merciful to others is a great blessing to your body and soul.
Being cruel and harsh to others is a practice which viciously violates the second greatest commandment (Mat. 22:39). It also makes obeying the first commandment impossible (1 John 4:20-21) and sows in your heart, soul, and body the noxious seeds of self-destruction.
By being merciful to others, you can be your own best friend. By being cruel to others, you will be your own worst enemy.
You decide.
