A friend of mine had been wronged by
another person. When I asked my friend
how he was going to handle the situation he replied, “George, I don’t get mad;
I get even!”
That is often our first response
when someone has slandered us or taken advantage of us or has hurt us in some
way. We’d like to pay them back and make
them feel the pain that we’ve suffered.
We’d like for them to know a sleepless night or an upset stomach or a
throbbing headache. We even begin to
think that we won’t really be happy until we’ve gotten some kind of
revenge.
The Apostle Paul knew what it was
like to have his service to the Lord be criticized and condemned. He knew what it was like to suffer punishment
for no good reason. He knew what it was
like to be on the run from enemies and their evil plans. If anyone ever had reason to want to “get
even,” it was Paul.
If you get a chance today, read
Romans, chapter 12. Paul has a lot to
say about living out the new life we have in Christ Jesus. He encourages his readers (including you and
me) to “bless those who persecute you,” and “do not repay evil for evil.” How can we live in this way? Only through the power of the Lord who
enables us to set aside worldly patterns and “be transformed by the renewing of
your mind.” After you’ve finished the
reading, ask the Holy Spirit to continue His transforming power in your life so
that you might become a “living sacrifice” who continually seeks God’s will for
daily living. Don’t be overcome by evil
but overcome evil with good. And have a great day!
