Current events have us terrified:
We are afraid of a virus and the vaccine that might heal.
We are afraid of losing our income.
We are afraid of losing our business.
We are afraid of harming our family and friends.
We are afraid of death and afraid of living.
We are afraid of the Present and the Future.
Bible teacher and host of Searchlight with Jon Carson, Pastor Jon Corson says we should learn to "LAF it off." He compares 1 Samual 4 accounting of the wars between Israel and the Philistines who captured the Ark of the Covenant. He compares the moving of the Mercy Seat which is the lid to the Ark and those who set it aside in order to look at the law (10 Commandments) searching for guidance on what they should do. In this commentary, he says our first response to everything is "mercy." That if we focus only on "the law" folly will follow. He shares his definition of LAF:
L- Love
A- Acceptance
F-Forgiveness
If we are rigid about what we believe to be the rule of law then mercy by default has been set aside. Loving others and acceptance in another's perspectives does not mean we are in agreement. Conversely, when we are unwilling to forgive others and when we refuse to accept forgiveness for the wrongs we've committed against others, we all lose. Walls are built up and relationships are torn down. Mercy, Grace, and Forgiveness are on one side of a coin. The other side of the coin reflects Judgment, Self-Righteousness, and Condemnation. What side of the coin you live by is up to you.