Be
of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate
with the lowly. Do not be wise in your
own estimation. Never pay back evil for
evil to anyone. Respect what is right in
the sight of all men.
If
possible, so far as it depends on you be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but
leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine. I will repay,” says the Lord.
“But
if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if He is thirsty, give him a drink; for
in doing so you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do
not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans
12:16-21
When
we go out into the world, we may encounter angry people who have an axe to
grind and they may not care who gets hurt in the process. What Paul is suggesting we do is not easy,
but it can make a huge impact on how we feel about ourselves and how our
enemies regard us.
We
will feel in control if we do not lash out but hang back and perhaps offer a
kind word to our enemy and maybe even up the ante by offering to buy them a
coffee. Our enemies will think one of
two things; either that we are really strong or we are crazy. In either case, they will tend to back off
and perhaps think twice before jumping us again.
No comments:
Post a Comment