Do you live in a democracy? You are fortunate if you live in a place where you have basic freedoms and even a voice in your own government. Do you require this to lead your life of faith? Are you aware that I lived in a country occupied by a foreign power, and the Bible was written under these circumstances? Yet it still teaches you to be subject to governing authority. My primary message was the Kingdom of God, and when I was asked by the civil authorities I said that my Kingdom was not of this world. What does your faith require to thrive? Does it need a favorable government?

Are you ever tempted to seek revenge? Yet you know that vengeance is mine, and I will repay. This implies that you shouldn’t seek revenge yourself. Do you take comfort in the thought that I have more powerful resources at my disposal for vengeance than you do, and can do a better job? But what if I do not deploy these to your satisfaction? What if I show mercy where you would not? Will you criticize me for doing an inadequate job? Perhaps you should use my performance to evaluate your own intentions. If I display a bias for mercy then shouldn’t you prefer it as well?

Have you ever gone fishing for compliments? Have you ever caught any? Everyone likes approval, but if you go looking for it you can put people in an awkward position and calls into question the sincerity of the compliments you get. This is a characteristic of an insecure person who can be controlled by those offering false flattery. Don’t give others undue influence over you by depending on their approval. You may not get as many compliments if you do not solicit them, but if your identity is secure then you don’t need as many, and those you receive spontaneously will be sincere.

Are you quick to form your first reaction to situations you encounter? Are your first reactions full of mercy, grace, and love, or they more judgmental? Your reactionary brain is eager to provide answers and make connections that are immediate and wrong. Have you found that it takes intentional effort to stay engaged and take a more gracious look, and think of more benign explanations for what you see? So if you stay engaged, you can come up with more than one explanation. Which one is correct? Do not assume that you need to resolve every issue.