Exchanging Our Contempt with Loving Care

Psalm 123:3

Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.

Every day the world around us seems to get more contentious and contemptuous.  Webster defines contempt as "feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn." We see dramatic outpourings of contempt in the news and throughout social media.  We certainly recognize the contempt that unbelievers often have for our faith as disciples of Jesus Christ.  As a result of the contempt that we encounter, hopefully we are quick to ask the Lord to open the eyes of those around us so that their scorn for us is replaced by a desire to learn from us the way, the truth and the life that we have in Jesus.  But is that the case?

When we are out in the world, how are we reacting to those that annoy us?  Are we taking an intercessory path or are we treating them with contempt?  Are we losing our testimony because of an ugly glare or quick nasty comment that destroys our message of salvation?  Are we leaving the world with a taste of our nasty attitude instead of the love of the One who we have accepted as Our Savior?

Let us be fully aware that the world is filled with contempt, but as Christians we are not of this world.  Let us refuse to be swamped by the cares and challenges of life.  Let us turn over the annoyances that we run into in the world and let God handle them in the courts of heaven.  Let us ask the Lord to give us discernment in all things so that we are known by our intercession and not by our criticism.  Let us exchange our contempt for others with our loving care for others.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your mercy that You have extended to us so that we may be able to extend mercy to others.  We praise the name of Our Savior, Jesus Christ, who is our Mediator who stands for us to correct every wrong and every injury as any good master would do for his slave.  We pray, Lord, that we will not faint under our trials in this world, but we will look unto the name of Jesus in faith and in prayer so that we may be vessels of His perfect love and forgiveness so that the world may know Him by our actions.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Merciful Lord, Jesus Christ.