Mercy That Fills: Finding Your Purpose in a Cup That Overflows
Discover the power of mercy and how embracing your purpose can fill your cup to overflow. Learn how caring for others leads to a life that’s both giving and receiving.
Last week we talked about how to work up an appetite for God and what gets in the way. Now, let's dive into the next one.
The “Captain Obvious” Moment
When I spoke in my first post in this series on the Beatitudes, I mentioned how not only were some of these statements and terms hard to understand, but also many of them seemed too vague or “Captain Obvious” that it was easy for me to miss their significance.
This next one is a top contributor to the latter:
'Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.' (Matthew 5:7 NKJV)
When I first read this, it felt like one of those 'you reap what you sow' or ‘what goes around comes around’ sayings—straightforward, no big deal, but honestly, kind of bland. It’s easy to gloss over, don’t you think? Like an “in one ear and out the other” version for reading. It doesn’t pack a punch, so I miss the significance.
When “Care-full” Changes Everything
Then, as I’ve mentioned in the past posts on the Beatitudes, I read it in the MEssage and everything changed:
'“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for. ' (Matthew 5:7 MSG)
You can’t tell me just that wording doesn’t make you need to stop and re-read it, turn it over in your mind, and think on it.
“At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.”
Dang, that’s good.
Mercy: Pouring From a Full Cup
The real power punch here is the play on words: 'care-full.' It doesn’t mean 'careful' as in cautious, even though that’s how it sounds. It’s deeper than that.
Instead, he’s giving me a working definition of “merciful” that’s removed from Christianity or a courtroom setting. Here, to be merciful means to be “care-full.”
Essentially, he’s telling the listener or reader, that when you are full of care for others (i.e. “merciful”), then you will also find yourself being cared for.
This line of reasoning makes me wonder if it’s impossible to pour from an empty cup is caring for others naturally makes us be poured back into. I still think you can pour out without being filled up, but I think the context of the rest of the Bible gives us a solution for that.
When we serve in the way God uniquely calls us—rather than people-pleasing or fitting into someone else’s mold—we don’t just give out; we are refilled. The more we pour out in our own God-given way, the more He fills us back up. It’s life-giving, not draining.
It makes me think of the verse in the beloved 23rd Psalm: You anoint my head with oil (calling), my cup runs over. Do you see that? When we stand under God’s calling, right where he’s pouring out the anointing oil, not outside of it, not under someone else’s oil, the car for others pours out without us even having to tip over - it' just naturally overflows.
So, don't grow weary of caring for others—He’s got your back. Keep pouring out, and watch how He refills you.
So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessings if we don't give up. (Galatians 6:9)
PS:
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Other Posts in the Beatitudes Series:
Part 1 - Poor in Spirit: Are you at the end of your rope?
Part 2 - Those who Mourn: Easy entry to the Father’s arms