Three In One

CELERY

The phrase “3 in 1” may mean many things to you, but the popular one in recent times I am referring to in this post is the sachet of instant coffee mix with sugar and creamer available in the supermarkets. Here, I use it to speak of the vital three-in-one “spiritual brew” of God’s love, forgiveness, and mercy. He bestows this on us, and we are meant to give it to one another.

GOD’S LOVE

I grew up in an atmosphere of love among my family, relatives, and friends. I reciprocated this love, but later in my adult life, I realized that this was not enough. Love stretches and expands. This means I give it to those who may not even care much about me or know me. It also means loving and accepting myself for who I am with all my strengths and weaknesses.

I have discovered that God’s love makes all this possible. His is self-sacrificing, without measure, and beyond the kind of love I know. Human love is very different and incomparable to God’s love. My love has limits, is imperfect, and may be conditional. At the same time, God’s love is encompassing, enduring, boundless, and unconditional.  As a person who believes, hopes, and loves God, I know he provides me with the courage to love. I have learned to continue loving when I have felt that my love may have been one-sided or lopsided at certain points in my relationships.

FORGIVENESS

In my personal experience, forgiveness is absolutely part of God’s love. With his kind of love, I can forgive myself. It also becomes easier for me to forgive others who have pained me and apologize in humility to the persons I may have offended. Regardless of the situation, God’s love enables me to reconcile with others in kindness and through peaceable means.

Since no one is perfect in this imperfect world, anyone can hurt or be hurt by people or circumstances. Yet, whenever I have the love of God in me, forgiving and asking forgiveness has been and is always doable.  Some friends have called me a peacemaker, and perhaps I have taken the first step towards that. God’s call is for all of us to be lovers and peacemakers.

MERCY

Mercy is just as definitely part of God’s unconditional love. There have been times when I experienced mercy or was merciful to others and even to myself. Again, these moments happened only because it was God’s love and compassion that reigned in my heart. Otherwise, feeling righteous, indignant, and left to my own devices, I would have stood my ground and quickly turned my back.

I recall an incident with a repairman who worked in my house regularly. He accomplished his job for the day, and aside from his pay, I had planned on giving him frozen fish to bring to his family. However, I discovered that he was taking home the can of leftover varnish without my permission. When I confronted him and told him he could have asked me first, he apologized. My immediate response surprised me. I gave him the varnish as well as the fish. I knew 100% it was God’s doing. It was his compassionate heart for the repairman working through me.

I believe that loving with the love of God, forgiveness, and mercy are inseparable. These are “3 in 1,” as the coffee mix is. Coffee drinkers, however, may choose to drink coffee without cream or sugar. It is not the same as God’s love, forgiveness, and mercy.  These three are essentially intertwined, and forgiveness and mercy are deeper expressions of God’s kind of love.