Better than Karma

Today's reading: 

• Proverbs 20:22 -- Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD, and he will avenge you.

Thoughts:

At work the other day, several of us were talking about how one of our friends had been treated unfairly. And one of us said, "It'll come back to them. Karma's a real thing."

It's amazing how often people claim that.

Karma isn't just the idea that people who do bad things usually end up with bad things happening to them. Karma is an "invisible power that teaches you". It has to do with the idea that you always get what you deserve: "In this world nothing happens to a person that he does not for some reason or other deserve."

We like that idea when someone has hurt us, right? But what about when we have hurt someone else? Then it's scary. And what does this concept do to our perception of others? It tells us that, if they're in a messy situation, it's ALWAYS their own fault. At some point in the past, maybe not even in this life, they did something to deserve a world of hurt. And yes, we could do something kind for them because we want karma to feed kindness back to us. But we wouldn't do something kind for them because we believe they deserve to be treated kindly. Clearly, considering what is happening to them, they don't deserve good treatment.

What we really yearn for is justice. That's why we like karma. We like the idea that wrongs will be made right. And yet we also crave mercy for ourselves, even when we know we have done wrong.

Jesus is better than karma because Jesus offers both (and because he's real, historical, personal, etc, but I'm trying to focus here, so I'll avoid getting carried away)!

Through Jesus Christ, every single sin that has ever been committed -- every bad intention, every cutting word, every act of violence or subterfuge -- faces justice. So rather than seeking vengeance for ourselves, we can wait. Justice is coming. Hell is real.

But through Jesus, there is also mercy for everyone. Every. Single. Person. We won't all receive it, but we are all offered it. How is this possible, when Jesus is also the righteous judge?

Every sinner who escapes the ultimate justice does so for one reason, and one reason only. Jesus paid for their sins on the cross, and they accepted his offer of mercy and forgiveness. They were given a chance at life even though they didn't deserve it.

We are all "they". None of us deserves a chance at life anymore. We have all sinned. And justice will prevail over all of our sins, because all of our sins are dealt with by Jesus; he either paid our debts already when he died, or the living Jesus Christ will make us pay our own debts eternally once he has returned for the Day of Judgment.

So Jesus is better than karma. Through Jesus, not only do we know that sins will be judged, but we also have a hope for mercy.

Next time someone wrongs you, remember that. Thank Jesus that he WILL provide justice. But remember also to pray for his mercy, not only for yourself, but for those who wronged you. Without the mercy of Jesus, where would you be?