Romans 12:17,21
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone... Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
I was a little thrown off with the second sentence, "Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone." It feels as if it is more important to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord, and not worry so much about how others see it. But I think Paul was specifically talking about how we live out our faith, living among others. We need to show others that we are able to turn away from revenge, and not demand "tit for tat". If we see evil, we are not to repay with evil. This shows our devotion to Christ and His teaching.
Father God, help me to always treat others kindly, no matter how I am treated. It is never okay to act out my anger with bad behavior when I feel I have been wronged. Help me to remember to be kind, and to turn away when necessary. Amen
Becky, transforming
EVIL
February 1st, 2023
Romans 12:17
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.
Romans 12:21
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Never take your own revenge, but leave room for the wrath of God, it is His role to deal out judgment toward wickedness. We are not God, so we shouldn't try to avenge ourselves; instead, we should get out of God's way. So far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Verbal, emotional, or physical payback is not an option for the Christian. BUT This is the most normal reaction most humans will take when we have be…
Romans 12:17, 21
Revenge for evil solves nothing and perpetuates the evil done with more evil. The cycle might never end. Just look at the age old story of the Hatfields and the McCoys. By now no one even remembers how it started. Revenge is not sweet, it is just more evil. We are told to do good to those who hurt us – difficult yes, but we need to break the cycle of evil. How do we do that? Forgiveness, of course.
Prayer: Gracious God, May I never get caught up in the cycle of evil. If I am harmed in anyway – lead me to forgiveness. Amen
Romans 12: 17-21 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.
We were born into a world of evil, so sorry to say. We…
Romans 12:17,21 Oh how we love revenge. Books and movies are replete with tales of epic revenge. There are the many sayings about it. “I don’t get mad, I get even.” “Revenge is a dish best served cold,” “What goes around, comes around.” On and on it goes, none of it Scriptural nor pleasing to God. Mahatma Gandhi, a relentless critic of Christian hypocrisy one said, “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” Despite his confusion of the Old and New testaments, this Hindu sage had a valid point. The new covenant would have us overcome evil with good, but we still have trouble getting it right.
Prayer - Gracious God, I rely on the…