A gift of the Spirit

The Gift of Showing Mercy

The gifts of Romans 12 · Romans 12:8

The gift of showing mercy is a Spirit given compassion that moves toward the suffering with practical kindness, and does it, Paul says, with cheerfulness. It reflects the very heart of God, who is rich in mercy, and it builds up the body, for the common good, by tending the hurting in Jesus' name.

Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.Romans 12:8 (KJV)

What the gift is

Paul ends his list in Romans, he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. Mercy is compassion in action, kindness shown to those in misery, need, or distress. The gift of showing mercy is a Spirit given tenderness toward the suffering, joined to a readiness to come near and help. Paul's added word is striking: with cheerfulness. Mercy is to be shown gladly, warmly, not with a sigh of duty, for a cheerful mercy heals twice, meeting the need and gladdening the heart.

This gift flows from the character of God Himself, who is described as the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, and whose mercies are new every morning. Jesus was again and again moved with compassion, and He blessed the merciful, promising that they shall obtain mercy. To show mercy is to resemble our Father in heaven and to make His compassion visible in the world.

How it appears in the New Testament

The Gospels are a river of mercy: Jesus touching lepers, weeping at a grave, feeding the hungry, welcoming sinners, and holding up the good Samaritan, who had compassion on the wounded stranger, as the picture of a true neighbor. He taught that in the great day the King will welcome those who fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and visited the sick and imprisoned, saying, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me.

The early church carried this mercy forward, caring for widows, the poor, and the sick, so that even outsiders marveled at how these Christians loved. James defines pure religion as visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction. The gift of showing mercy is the church stooping, as its Lord stooped, to the ones the world passes by.

How it builds up the body of Christ

Every congregation is full of quiet suffering: the grieving, the sick, the lonely, the poor, the ashamed. The gift of mercy seeks them out and tends them, so that no one bears their burden alone. It makes the church a place of refuge and comfort, and it preaches the gospel without words, showing a watching world the compassion of Christ.

Mercy also keeps the body tender. Where this gift is honored, the church does not grow hard or forget the hurting in its rush to do other things. And it must be shown with cheerfulness, for mercy given grudgingly wounds, while mercy given gladly heals. In this the merciful reflect the God who delights in mercy and does not give it reluctantly.

How to recognize and use it

Those with this gift feel the pain of others keenly, are drawn toward the suffering rather than away, and find joy in comforting and helping. If that is you, go to the hurting freely, and go with cheerfulness, bringing not only help but gladness. Guard against weariness and bitterness, keep your own heart fed by the mercy of God, and let every kindness be done in the name of Jesus, so that comfort and gospel travel together.

And whatever your gift, none of us is excused from mercy, for we have all received it. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy; and we love because He first loved us. Every act of mercy is a return of the mercy we ourselves were shown at the cross.

How this gift points to Christ

Mercy in the church is the overflow of the mercy of Christ, who was moved with compassion for the crowds, wept at the grave of a friend, and received sinners the world cast off. On the cross He became the great mercy of God to us, and every act of mercy His people show is the mercy they first received returning through them to others. Jesus receives each one as done to Himself and blesses the merciful with mercy. So the merciful heart preaches Christ crucified, the friend of sinners, and points the suffering to the God of all comfort, who in Jesus draws near to the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

The more excellent way

Whatever place the gift of Showing Mercy holds, Paul sets one thing above every gift. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, he says, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal; and though I have all knowledge, and all faith, and have not charity, I am nothing. The gifts will one day pass away, but now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; and the greatest of these is charity.

So this gift, like all the rest, is given by one Spirit for the common good, to build up the one body of Christ, and it is nothing at all apart from love. The gifts are not for our standing but for our serving, and they all belong to Him whose body the church is. Use whatever you have been given to love one another, and to point every eye to Jesus, from whom every good gift comes and to whom every gift returns its praise.

The Giver calls you

Every gift of the Spirit comes from the risen Christ and points back to Him. The same Lord who pours out gifts on His church calls you by name to know Him, to be filled with His Spirit, and to take your place in His body. Read the Word, pray, and gather with the family of God on The Living Bread. Free, with no ads, for all people.

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Questions people ask

What is the spiritual gift of showing mercy?

It is a Spirit given compassion that moves toward the suffering with practical kindness, and does it with cheerfulness (Romans 12:8). It reflects the heart of God, who is rich in mercy, and tends the hurting in Jesus' name.

Why does Paul say to show mercy with cheerfulness?

Because how mercy is given matters. Mercy shown grudgingly wounds, while mercy shown gladly heals twice, meeting the need and warming the heart. A cheerful mercy reflects the God who delights in mercy and does not give it reluctantly.

Is showing mercy required of every Christian, or only some?

All believers are called to be merciful, for Jesus blessed the merciful and we have all received mercy at the cross. Yet some are given a special grace of compassion and are drawn especially to tend the suffering for the good of the whole body.