Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
“I will take revenge;
I will pay them back,”
says the Lord.
I will pay them back,”
says the Lord.
Instead,
"If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.
Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer your evil by doing good."
Romans 12:17-21
My morning devotion was, once again, perfectly timed by God.
I spent the weekend Christmas shopping in Pensacola. Between the horrendous traffic - drivers cutting me off, running red lights, almost getting hit - and the rude shoppers - who would look at me like I had five heads when I would politely ask to get by them when they and their buggies blocked entire ailses - I had more than my fill of dealing with people!
However, in the midst of this sour 'Christmas Spirit,' I had to maintain my composure. And in the middle of all this chaos, Romans 12 popped into my head...especially the part about living PEACEABLY with others!!! So wouldn't you know that this is the passage I would read this morning for my devotion:)
Although I made light of the circumstances of my weekend, the truth of this passage reminds us to remain steadfast in our faith no matter who wrongs us and why.
Paul reminds us in this passage the core of Christian living is to love others the way Christ loves us. Though we are underserving of God's forgiveness and grace, God offers it freely to those who turn to Christ! Likewise, since we have experienced grace we should willingly offer it to others! We should seek ways to live peacefully with others - even those who have wronged us.
When we are wronged or hurt, Paul reminds us to:
1. Forgive others as God has forgiven us. Forgiveness breaks the cycle of retaliation, laying the groundwork for possible reconciliation. Forgiveness may not be deserved, but it helps us to heal as well.
2. Not to repay evil with evil. In contrast, we are to repay evil with good - even if the person doesn't deserve it! This runs counter to the world, laying the groundwork for that person to turn to or reconcile their relationship with Christ
3. Through forgiveness and kindness, it helps those who have wronged us to recognize their error, feel conviction of their error, seek forgiveness, and repent. We can be a strong testimony for Christ when we repay evil with good!
The bottom line, we should take a stance of living peacefully with others as much as within our power to do so. Let God handle the justice. He's the only one qualified to do so!
In His Love, Cathy
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