Don’t pay people back with evil for the evil they do to you. Focus your thoughts on those things that are considered noble. As much as it is possible, live in peace with everyone.
Don’t take revenge, dear friends. Instead, let God’s anger take care of it. After all, Scripture says, “I alone have the right to take revenge. I will pay back, says the Lord.”
But, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. If you do this, you will make him feel guilty and ashamed.”
Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21 (GW)
A refusal to seek revenge or payback of some kind is often viewed as weakness. We live in a reactionary world. The capacity to defend and protect one's self is typically viewed as a strength.
But life in God's kingdom, governed by the nature and character of God, often appears at odds with the world around us. Why? Because it is!
Our perception of the world is naturally limited, we can only be in one place at one time. Even with a global view through the worldwide web, we still only see a very small slice of all that goes on in the world.
When we choose to follow Jesus as our Lord, we gain His all-knowing, all-seeing, ever-present perspective. We don't see it on our own, but when we surrender our hearts and lives to Him, Jesus gives us glimpses of His eternal view of things.
It's only by faith we're enabled to see beyond the evil and wickedness that invades our lives. When our confidence and trust in God is genuine, we can trust the Lord to settle our accounts when we are insulted, slandered, or defamed. Even when worse things happen to us.
God's strength is far greater than ours and His reach far exceeds our own. We can choose to retaliate or forgive. We can choose good over evil, or take things into our own hands.
I seek to trust in God, not myself. ©Word-Strong_2016
