Wasted Mercy
1 Kings 15:4
"Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:"
After the death of Rehoboam, Abijam began to reign in Judah. Apparently, Abijam did not learn from his father that sin always has a huge price tag. Yet, though his sin was great, God exercised mercy and would not destroy him for David's sake. Because God respected David, Abijam experienced the mercy of God. Sadly, Abijam didn't use God's mercy wisely; instead, he wasted the mercy of God and continued in sin to his own destruction.
God does not owe man anything. If God chooses not to exercise mercy upon someone, that is His right. Yet, when God chooses to show someone His mercy, that mercy should not be taken as an opportunity to continue in sin, but it should be taken as an opportunity to change what they have done wrong. Wasting God's mercy is not only disrespectful to God, but it is unwise on your behalf.
When God chooses to show His mercy to a church, then that church should not waste the mercy of God. There are churches that have made bad decisions and chose the wrong position on something in the Scripture, and if it were not for the mercy of God that church would be closed. If God gives your church a chance to come back to doing what it is supposed to do, then don't waste His mercy upon your church. A church should take God's mercy as an opportunity to correct what brought it to its disparaging condition.
Moreover, when God shows mercy to an individual, that individual should take God's mercy as an opportunity to correct their sin. Many times individuals sin and face the judgement of God, in those times God could very easily destroy that person. Yet, many times God exercises mercy upon that individual and gives them a chance to get right so that He can end His judgement. That individual would be wise to let God's mercy be the opportunity they have looked for to change their ways.
A nation that experiences the mercy of God should not waste that opportunity. Many nations have been spared God's judgement for a last ditch opportunity to get right only to waste their opportunity. If you live in such a nation that is living in a space of mercy, then you should do all that you can to help your nation do right by turning others towards righteousness.
Let me ask you, are you living in a time of God's mercy? Has God withheld His judgement from you? If so, I challenge you not to waste God's mercy. Any time God shows you His mercy, use it as an opportunity to get things right with Him. The mercy of God is not to be wasted. If you waste God's mercy, then the only thing left is His judgement. Don't waste mercy shown to you, instead use it wisely to correct mistakes you have made.