Tag: mercy

The Purpose in God’s Patience

Posted on by thechristiantechnerd

I’m starting to realize that God’s patience is not just something I need to learn about — it’s something I desperately need to receive. Not mentally acknowledge, not highlight in my Bible, not recite in small group — but truly receive.

And honestly, I think that’s where the disconnect is for most of us — myself included.

We know God is patient. We say He’s patient. We quote scriptures like:

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you…”
— 2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)

But the question I’ve been wrestling with lately is:
How infiltrated am I by that patience?

Have I let it change me? Form me?
Can people feel God’s patience through me?

This morning, while I was driving and thinking through all the things I had to do, I got irritated over a five-minute delay. Five minutes. And then the Holy Spirit just dropped this quiet conviction in my spirit:

“You receive My mercy but reject My pace.”

That hit me hard.

I love being forgiven quickly, but I don’t love having to forgive slowly. I love that God is long-suffering with me, but I expect other people to mature overnight. And I hate to admit this, but even when I ask God for patience, I expect an instant download, not a process.

I’m reminded of the servant in Matthew 18:23-35 — the one forgiven a massive debt by his king but then turned around and refused mercy to someone who owed him very little. That story always hits a nerve. Especially the end:

“Then the angry king sent the man to prison until he had paid every penny.”
— Matthew 18:34 (NLT)

And Jesus wasn’t just talking about money. He was warning us about what unforgiveness and impatience do to the soul. They don’t just strain relationships. They imprison us.

And here’s what I’ve been reflecting on:
Impatience may not land us in a literal jail cell, but it absolutely locks our souls up.

It steals our peace.
It ruins our perspective.
It makes our relationships tense and transactional.
It makes us bitter with God and demanding of others.

The wild part? God doesn’t just demand patience from us — He actually offers it to us. It’s part of the fruit of the Spirit:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…”
— Galatians 5:22–23 (ESV)

It’s something He produces in us — when we stay connected to Him.

And I think that’s the shift I’m starting to embrace:
Instead of striving for patience, I want to abide in Christ and let patience grow out of the intimacy.

But growth takes time.
Fruit takes time.
Patience takes… well… patience.

Have I asked God to grow patience in me? Yes.
Have I grown frustrated when it didn’t happen fast enough? Absolutely.

But I’m learning that asking God for patience means He’s going to give me opportunities to practice it, not just the feeling of it. He’ll place me in moments where I have to choose it. And not once or twice, but daily. Repeatedly.

The deeper truth is that the world we live in is constantly forming us to be impatient. Fast food. Same-day delivery. Quick replies. Instant results. We’re conditioned to expect immediacy.

But God moves at a different pace.
He works in seasons, not seconds.
He transforms in silence, not speed.

And if I want to become more like Him — more loving, more rooted, more whole — then I have to trust His pace as much as I trust His plans.

That’s hard for me. I like control. I like efficiency. I like clarity. But patience asks me to sit in the unknown and remain kind. It asks me to endure discomfort without becoming bitter. It calls me to wait without losing hope.

And maybe most importantly… patience reminds me that God hasn’t given up on people, so neither should I.

Whether it’s that friend who keeps making poor choices, or the family member I’m tempted to give up on, or even me — the parts of myself I wish would hurry up and grow already — I’m learning to offer the same patience I’ve received.

Because God has been so, so patient with me.


Father,
I thank You for Your patience — not just in principle, but in the lived-out way You’ve walked with me through every season of my mess, my doubt, my delay, my rebellion, and my apathy.

You have never rushed me.
You have never given up on me.
You’ve waited with grace, over and over again.

Teach me to do the same — with others and with myself.
Let Your Spirit cultivate real, lasting patience in me.
Not shallow tolerance, but true, Christlike forbearance — the kind that is rooted in love, not ego.

Help me surrender my timeline.
Help me stop measuring growth by speed.
Help me trust Your pace even when I don’t understand it.

Let Your patience shape my perspective, steady my emotions, and soften my expectations.

I don’t want to just learn about Your patience.
I want to be formed by it.
I want to be infiltrated by it.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Reflection to Self


The next time I feel that quick sting of impatience rise up — whether it’s with people, my job, my future, or even with God — I want to pause and ask:


“Have I forgotten how patient He’s been with me?”

Because if I truly received His patience, I’d be slower to speak, slower to judge, and quicker to love.

And that’s who I want to be — not just a woman who knows about God’s patience, but one who lives it.

Whispers of Mercy: A Christian Prayer of Forgiveness

Posted on by thechristiantechnerd

My heart has been stirring around lately by things I’ve kept buried deep — wounds I pretended didn’t matter, words I’ve long tried to forget, people I told myself I’d forgiven, yet my heart says otherwise.

I’ve realized something tonight: All Christians — not just me — have been hurt by others. Every single one of us has faced betrayal, heartbreak, disappointment. It’s part of this broken world we live in. But holding on to the pain doesn’t heal it. It cages it. And in turn, it cages me.

There’s someone… maybe more than one… who has caused anger and bitterness to rise in me more than I ever wanted to admit. I thought ignoring the feelings was the same as overcoming them. But that’s not true. The pain has just been hiding, simmering beneath my prayers and smiles.

Tonight, I’m ready to be honest.

Prayer #1: A Prayer to Release Bitterness

Heavenly Father,

I lay my heart bare before You. You know the hidden bitterness I’ve held onto — the anger I thought was justified. Lord, I’m tired. I don’t want to carry it anymore. I choose to forgive, even if my feelings aren’t there yet. Help my heart to follow the truth of Your Word, not the deceit of my emotions.

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger… Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:31-32
I want to live in that freedom. I want to forgive, as You forgave me. Please help me.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

There’s this idea I used to believe — that forgiving someone meant saying what they did was okay. But it’s not. It wasn’t. And God sees that. What they did broke something in me. But God also doesn’t ask me to pretend. He just asks me to trust Him. That’s what forgiveness is: trust.

I have judged people harshly in my heart, secretly wishing God would repay them for what they did to me. But tonight, Lord, I surrender those thoughts to You.

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil… Do not take revenge… but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” – Romans 12:17-19

Prayer #2: A Prayer of Surrender


Jesus,


I surrender every person who has wounded me into Your hands. I give up the desire to punish them with silence, with coldness, with bitterness.

That’s not who You’ve called me to be. Because You are my Lord, I free them from my judgment and my sinful reactions.


I give them back to You — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You alone are the righteous Judge. Help me to see them as You see them, not through the lens of my pain.


I place them at Your throne of grace.


In Your mercy, Amen.

I once read that unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. That stuck with me. I see it now more clearly than ever — it’s not just about them, it’s about my heart being held captive.

And Jesus died to set my heart free.

So why do I still grip the chains so tightly?

Prayer #3: A Prayer to Let Go


Heavenly Father,


I’m loosening my grip. I’m placing all my expectations, my disappointments, and my unanswered questions at the foot of the cross. I don’t need answers anymore. I need You.
I release them. I give them entirely to You. I loose them and let them go.
I want to walk in freedom. Please fill every space in me that hurt tried to own. Fill it with Your Spirit. Fill it with love.


“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:7
I cast this pain to You, Lord.
Amen.

It’s hard to admit that even after all You’ve forgiven me for, I still wrestle to forgive someone else. That I still put up walls and guard my heart in ways You never asked me to.

But Your Word says:
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” – Matthew 6:14-15

That hits deep. I can’t live in grace and deny it to others.

God, it humbles me. Who am I to hold someone’s sin against them when You have washed away my own?

Prayer #4: A Prayer for Humility and Grace


Lord Jesus,


You forgave me before I ever said sorry. You saw my mess, my rebellion, my brokenness — and You loved me still. Teach me to love like that.


Help me to forgive even if the apology never comes.
Help me to bless even when I feel cursed.


Help me to extend grace, the way You flood it over me every day.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8


Let that be the standard of my love.


Amen.

I don’t want a heart hardened by past hurts. I want a soft heart — one that reflects Jesus. I want my healing to glorify Him. And maybe part of that healing is praying for the one who caused the pain.

It doesn’t make what happened right. But it makes me free.

And when I pray for them… something inside me softens. It’s like heaven breathes on a wound I thought would never stop bleeding.

Prayer #5: A Blessing Over Those Who Hurt Me


Father God,

I bless those who have hurt me. I choose to see them as You do — not through bitterness, but through Your mercy.

I pray they would know Your love, Your grace, and Your truth. I ask that You do a mighty work in their lives, and in mine.

I bless them to become all You’ve created them to be. Let Your kindness lead them to repentance, and let Your peace reign in their hearts.

And if it is Your will, bring reconciliation. But even if that never comes, I still choose love.
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” – Matthew 5:44

Give me a heart like Yours.


In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Tonight, I breathe a little easier. Not because everything is fixed. But because I’m starting to let go.

I see now that forgiveness is not a one-time choice. It’s a daily surrender. A daily cross. A daily decision to trust God more than my feelings.

And so, I will keep choosing it. Again and again.

I’ll keep placing those people — and my pain — at the throne of grace.

Because I want to be free.
Because I want to love like Jesus.
Because I belong to Him.

And if He can forgive me, then by His power, I can forgive too.

Scriptures to Meditate On Tonight:

  • “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” – Psalm 51:10
  • “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” – Matthew 5:7
  • “Bear with each other and forgive one another… Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” – Colossians 3:13

Jesus, thank You for whispering mercy to my soul tonight. Thank You for Your patience, Your love, and the cross.

Let my life echo Your forgiveness.

With all my heart,
CTN (Christian Tech Nerd)

Thank Goodness GOD Isn’t Fair

Posted on by thechristiantechnerd

I sat on my bed after reading Luke 6:35 for probably the tenth time thisweek, but this time… it got under my skin. Like, deeply under.

“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” — Luke 6:35

That verse makes me squirm. Not because I don’t love You—but because I don’t love them. The people who ghosted me. The friend who betrayed my trust. The guy who took my kindness and used it like a doormat. And yet, You’re telling me to love them? And not just tolerate them… but do good to them?

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Prayer #1:
Lord, help me be honest about how hard this is. I want to follow You, even when it feels like I’m walking straight into pain.

I always thought fairness was a godly trait. You do good, you get good. Do bad, and well… consequences. But then here comes Jesus, saying, “Love the ones who hurt you. Give without expecting. Be kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.”

That’s not fair.

But You know what’s wild? I’m starting to think… maybe that’s the best thing about You, God.

Because if You were fair, if You gave me what I deserved—I’d be toast. And not the good kind. The burnt, stale kind.

“He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” — Psalm 103:10

Prayer #2:
God, thank You for not being fair. Thank You for mercy that flows deeper than my mistakes.

Fairness would have left me out in the cold for all the lies I told in high school, for every time I gossiped to look cool, for the quiet pride I still carry in my chest that whispers, “I’m better than them.”

But grace? Grace says: I see it all… and I still want you.

Prayer #3:
Jesus, make me more like You. Teach me to love people who don’t “deserve” it—because that’s how You love me.

This is the hard truth I keep wrestling with: I’m not the hero in the story. I’m not the one extending grace from a throne of righteousness. I’m the one who needs it. Desperately.

And so when You say, “Be kind to the ungrateful and wicked,” maybe You’re not just talking about them. Maybe You’re talking about me.

Prayer #4:
Break down my pride, Lord. Help me stop seeing myself as better than others. Remind me we’re all standing in need of the same grace.

It’s easy to believe in grace when I’m the one receiving it. It’s way harder when You ask me to give it away like candy—especially to people who don’t even say thank you.

But then I remember… I don’t always say thank you either. I take Your blessings for granted. I doubt Your goodness. I disobey and apologize later like it’s no big deal. And You still love me. You still bless me.

“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8

Prayer #5:
God, let that verse never lose its weight. You loved me while I was sinning. Not after. Not once I cleaned up. Right in the mess.

So when I say, “God isn’t fair,” I don’t mean it in the bitter way some people do. I mean it with relief. Because fair would’ve left me without hope. Fair would’ve cut me off the moment I messed up. But You? You run toward the mess. You meet me with kindness that I didn’t earn.

And now… You’re asking me to do the same. Not because it’s easy. Not even because it feels good. But because it’s how Your Kingdom works.

Prayer #6:
Jesus, give me the courage to love in unfair ways. Help me bless those who curse me. Fill me with Your compassion when mine runs dry.

Today I thought about the person who hurt me the most last year. It still stings. I don’t want to pretend like it didn’t matter. But I also don’t want bitterness to chain me up. I want to be free. And I think freedom is found in that unfair, radical grace You keep showing me.

Prayer #7:
Help me forgive, God. Even if they never apologize. Even if they don’t change. Help me let go, not for them—but for You.

And help me love generously, not because I trust the other person—but because I trust You.

Maybe that’s the real root of this all. Trust. Do I trust You enough to follow You into uncomfortable places? Into unfair love? Into mercy that looks foolish?

I think I’m learning to say yes. One wobbly, messy yes at a time.

Prayer #8:
Father, thank You for loving me so well. Let my life reflect that kind of love, even when it costs me. Especially then.

Thank goodness You aren’t fair, God. Thank goodness You’re good instead.

Difference Between Mercy and Grace

Posted on by thechristiantechnerd

Mercy and grace are the utmost attributes of love. The essence of the Bible is loving God and loving people through the lens of Jesus Christ. Two grand works of God have displayed His all-powerful, gracious, and merciful nature: creation and redemption.

While God’s work of creation demonstrated His mighty power, God’s work of redemption revealed His marvelous love, shown through His mercy and grace. This very love of God is indispensable for the existence of life and the salvation of humanity.

“The Lord is gracious and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.” (Psalm 145:8-9)

Grace and Mercy: Definitions and Differences:

The Greek word used for mercy is most often eleos (pity, compassion) and for grace is charis(favor). Mercy and grace, as paraphrased from Willmington’s Guide to the Bible, can be differentiated as follows: mercy is the act of withholding deserved punishment, while grace is the act of endowing unmerited favor. In His mercy, God does not give us punishment we deserve, namely hell; while in His grace, God gives us the gift we do not deserve, namely heaven.

Mercy and grace are two sides of a coin – and the coin is love. In the author’s own words, mercy is a compassionate love to the weak, and grace is a generous love to the unworthy. Humans are weak and unworthy – we all need God’s mercy and grace. Mercy takes us to the path of forgiveness, while grace leads us to reconciliation.

Examples of God’s Grace and Mercy in the Bible:

Mercy and grace are often mistakenly thought to be a New Testament concept. But in fact, they are manifested throughout the entire Scripture.

The Bible is filled with the story of God using imperfect people to accomplish His purpose. There are many examples of God’s mercy and grace in the Old Testament. David is perhaps the most prominent example: he was called “a man after God’s own heart” despite his great sins. David lusted, killed, and fornicated. Abraham feared and lied, Sara was impatient, Jacob was a cheater, Moses was stubborn and doubtful, Rahab was a prostitute, and the Israelites rebelled many times against God – yet God still used all of them to accomplish His purposes.

God was faithful and His promises never failed (Exodus 34:6, Deuteronomy 4:31, 7:9, Lamentations 3:22-23, Numbers 6:24-26).

More examples of God’s grace and mercy in the New Testament:

  • Saul was a persecutor, yet God converted him to become Paul, the apostle of Christ, the author of nearly half of the New Testament.
  • Peter was temperament and denied Jesus, yet God used him to preach and about 3,000 were saved.
  • Thomas was a doubter, yet God used him to preach the Gospel in India and possibly Indonesia (according to traditions),
  • Mary Magdalene was demon-possessed, yet God graciously gave her a wonderful chance of being the first witness of the risen Christ.
  • Martha was restless, yet God also allowed her to be among the first witnesses of the resurrection of Christ (and of Lazarus, her brother).
  • Barabbas was a criminal, yet God allowed him to be set free in exchange for Jesus.
  • The penitent thief was forgiven on the cross and promised to be in Paradise with Jesus.

Clearly, the Bible is the record of a God who repeatedly forgives sinful humans – and even more, a perfect God who works in and through them, the broken vessels, for their own good and ultimately for His glory. The mercy and grace of God alone can save and sustain mankind (Titus 2:11, 3:7, Ephesians 2:4-9, Psalm 103:1-5, 8).

If God has shown His love to those people in the past, He must be able to do so in our lives today. So now, how do we respond to God’s love?

Responding to God’s Grace and Mercy

  1. Acknowledge our needs for grace and mercy.

To embrace the mercy and grace of God, we need humility (James 4:6, Micah 6:8). We must first confess that all humans are sinners, nobody is able to meet God’s standard of perfection (Romans 3:23, 5:20), and the world we live in is broken, so we do not become obsessed with ourselves and things in this world. In doing so, we shift our focus from human centeredness to God and acknowledge His sovereignty over all things.

Mercy and grace liberate us from perfectionism, a prideful and rebellious heart. It is only by the Lord’s mercy and grace that we could live today.

  1. Accept God’s grace and mercy.

There is a deep desire of humanity for freedom. Naturally, people are happy when receiving something good for free (for example, who does not like free food?) and otherwise are reluctant to pay or sacrifice. The good news is that God has offered His mercy and grace for free. The Son of God has done for our behalf all that we need for our salvation (Romans 6:23, Ephesians 1:7). We are saved not because we are good, but all because God is good. He has paid all the necessary payment for our salvation for us.

Moreover, God knows that not only we love something free, but we also love something new. Thanks be to God, through the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are given a new, holy life (1 Peter 1:3, 2 Timothy 1:8-9) and a great privilege to live for Him (2 Corinthians 5:15). As we walk in His ways, we will continue to experience His grace and glory (Psalm 84:11) and find our help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

  1. Know our identity in Christ and share His love with others.

We were once children of wrath because of our sins, but in Christ, we have now become the children of God (John 1:12). And as His children, we should be grateful that our Father is full of grace and truth (John 1:14). But we must not take His love for granted. We must grow in our relationship with Him, to know and love Him more.

His desire is for us to have mercy on others (Hosea 6:6, Matthew 9:13, 5:7, Luke 6:36). As the Lord has planted the seed of love in our hearts with His sufficient grace, we are to bear more fruit in our work (2 Corinthians 9:8, 12:9).

Paul realized the importance of working hard for the Lord as the appropriate response to His grace, not as an effort to earn His favor (1 Corinthians 15:10). Let us, therefore, as God’s chosen and beloved people, continue to do the good work He has given us (Colossians 3:12), be gracious and merciful in our judgment of others (James 2:13), and do all these things in truth and love (2 John 1:3).