Mother Teresa: Model of a Merciful Life

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Matthew 5:7

Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.

(CSB)

God’s mercies are the result of his love for us and are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).  Matthew 5:7 reminds us that we are to lovingly extend mercy to others and in return will receive mercy. The daily new mercies we receive from God are a blank canvas upon which we can paint a picture of extending loving mercy to others.  The life of Mother Teresa provides an example of one painting a canvas of mercy.

Born in Skopje. The capital of the Republic of Macedonia, Mother Teresa felt the calling to become a nun in the Catholic church and serve the poor.  However, upon seeing the impoverished people of Calcutta India, she felt a calling within her calling and established the “Missionaries of Charity” ministering to the poor of Calcutta.  (1)  While the conventional thinking is that one’s Christian values determine their worldview, Mother Teresa’s worldview and discovery of mission came as a result of seeing the world of poverty surrounding her. 

As children of God and beneficiaries of Gods new mercies in Christ, our lives should reflect that mercy.  While most reading this may not make the impact of Mother Teresa on the world, we can show mercy by,

1)      Praying for those we know are suffering (James 5:16) – Prayer is a powerful tool we should not take lightly.  Be attuned to the needs and suffering of those around us at work, church, and our neighborhoods making a list remembering to pray for them each day. 

2)      Contribute to charities serving the poor and disadvantaged (Matthew 25:34-40) – Matthew 25:34:40 represents the theological support for Mother Teresa’s ministerial worldview.  When we contribute to helping the poor, we are in essence showing mercy to Christ who showed us great mercy through His death on the cross. 

3)      Be open to volunteering in service to the poor – In our busy societies it is easy to be in such a hurry we ignore suffering in our world.  While none of us has time to volunteer to help all the suffering we see in our communities, I want to encourage everyone reading this to not ignore suffering we see but to pray and if possible offer help. 

Romans 3:23 reminds us that we all have sinned with Romans 6:23 proclaiming the death penalty for sin but also pointing us to forgiveness in Jesus Christ.  The greatest demonstration of mercy anyone can experience is that of a just God providing forgiveness of sins through the sacrifice of His own Son (John 3:16).  Therefore, as an extension of mercy to anyone reading this, I invite you to pray with me and receive God’s merciful gift of salvation,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

I encourage everyone to extend the mercy of God to others through sharing this post, so they too can experience the mercy of God in their lives. 

1. Biography online. Biography Mother Teresa. www.biographyonline.net. [Online] Biography Online. [Cited: July 15, 2018.] https://www.biographyonline.net/nobelprize/mother_teresa.html.