The Five Minute Friday prompt this week is CRITISIZE

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I sometimes struggle with prompts that immediately invoke a negative response. Criticize is one of those words. As it says in James 4:11 ESV “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.”

If Christ followers truly want to be the hands and feet of Jesus, instead of being critical, we ought to show grace & mercy to others.

It can be challenging to distinguish between grace and mercy, so let me simplify it.

Mercy is when we do not get the punishment we deserve.

Grace is when we are given a gift we have not earned.

Both mercy and grace describe the heart and nature of God. It is my prayer that you, dear reader, live a life that exemplifies both GRACE and MERCY.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. – Romans 3:23-24 NIV

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. – James 2:12-13 NIV

As for me, I will STAY on the path God has set before me. I will actively search for ways to show unmerited favor and compassion to all who come into my life.

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