Today’s Verse
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32
The Mercy We’ve Already Received
Criticism comes naturally. It’s easy to spot what’s wrong, to notice the flaws, to mentally catalog all the ways someone else is falling short. Grace, on the other hand, requires intention. It asks us to extend to others what we desperately need ourselves: the benefit of the doubt, second chances, patience with imperfection.
The irony is that we’ve all been on the receiving end of both. We know what it feels like to be criticized, to be judged harshly, to have our worst moments define us. And we also know what it feels like when someone chooses grace instead, when they see our mess and offer kindness anyway, when they don’t hold our mistakes against us, when they give us room to be human.
Here’s the thing about grace: it’s not a limited resource. The more you’ve received from God, the more you have to give. And if you’re struggling to extend grace to others, it might be because you’ve forgotten how much you’ve been given. God doesn’t treat you according to what you deserve, He treats you with mercy, patience, and relentless love.
Today, when you’re tempted to criticize, pause. Remember how much grace you carry. Then choose to give it away freely, to the person who frustrates you, to the stranger who cuts you off, and yes, even to yourself when you inevitably fall short. Grace changes everything. Let it start with you.
Today’s Prayer
Lord, help me choose grace over criticism, both toward others and toward myself.
My heart is quick to judge, to find fault, to focus on what’s wrong instead of extending the same mercy You’ve given me so freely.
Teach me to see people the way You see them, with compassion instead of condemnation, with patience instead of impatience, with love that covers over a multitude of mistakes.
I confess I’m harder on others than I should be, holding them to standards I don’t even hold myself to, forgetting how much grace I need every single day.
Help me pause before I speak, to consider my words carefully, to ask myself if what I’m about to say builds up or tears down, if it offers kindness or just criticism disguised as honesty.
Remind me that everyone I meet is fighting battles I know nothing about, carrying burdens I can’t see, doing the best they can with what they have.
Give me the humility to extend grace even when it’s not deserved, to forgive quickly, to assume the best instead of the worst, to be gentle with the imperfections in others because You’ve been so gentle with mine.
Let grace become my first response instead of my last resort, and may the way I treat others reflect the incredible grace You’ve shown me.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.