Maging mahabagin kayo tulad ng inyong Ama. Huwag kayong humatol at hindi kayo hahatulan. Huwag kayong magparusa at hindi kayo paparusahan ng Diyos. Patawarin ninyo ang inyong kapwa at kayo’y patatawarin din ng Diyos.

Lucas 6:36–37

Mahabagin ka ba?

Walang perpektong tao, kaya wala rin perpektong pamilya. Lahat dumaraan sa pagsubok at lahat may kahinaan. Nangyayari ang simpleng tampuhan, at minsan, may mabigat na alitan dala ng hindi pagkakaunawaan. Problems and conflicts arise every day kahit pa mahal ninyo ang isa’t isa.

It is always easy to see our loved ones’ mistakes because we want order in the family. Gusto natin nagfa-function lahat nang maayos! But because we are not perfect, lahat tayo nagkakamali. And when those shortcomings and mistakes happen, bigla tayo nagiging hukuman — eager to dispense justice. We make sure that people get what they deserve for their actions.

That’s the thing about justice. Pinaparusahan ang mali, binibigyan ng reward ang tama. But God doesn’t want us to operate in justice alone. He wants us to operate in mercy. Kahit may pagkakamali na nagawa ang ating kapamilya, gaano man ito kabigat, nais ng Panginoon na maging mahabagin tayo sa kanila.

Hindi sinasabing kunsintihin ang nagawang kamalian, pero huwag namang kalimutan ang pamilya dahil lang sa kanilang pagkakadapa. Makatarungan ang Panginoon, pero mas madalas na Siya ay mahabagin. Kaya’t nais Niyang maging mahabagin din tayo tulad Niya. Huwag humatol, huwag magparusa. Huwag maging hukuman sa ating pamilya. Instead, we should dispense mercy and love.

Kung nagagalit, naiinis, o nasasaktan ka sa kanilang pagkakamali, ibigay mo ito sa Panginoon. We cannot force people to change. We can correct them with love to help them grow, but at the end of the day, only God can change hearts. So whenever you’re torn between justice and mercy, choose mercy. Choose forgiveness. Because if we were to choose, we would choose God’s mercy over His judgment, right? It’s because of His love and mercy that we have eternal life. Mercy is powerful so let’s give it in the same way we have received it from God.