Evil For Evil
Hurtful words, betrayal, lies, and in justice — we have all found ourselves in one of these situations before. When we are experiencing situations that hurt our heart to the very core, the world will tell us to call for “Karma or Revenge” on others. How we react during those moments of heartache is what we will be covering in this blog. So if you are currently feeling the need of wishing bad on others, then please keep reading to find out what God wants us to know about calling on evil for evil.
Evil For Evil:
Bible Verse: Romans 12:17-19 “Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.””
Pain can cause even the best people to say or do things that they normally wouldn’t. That heart hurt can cut deep to the point that you may wish that the person who caused you the pain would also be hurting. Some of our deepest hurts will come from people who we thought we could trust, and thought had our best interest in mind. When those moments hit us out of nowhere, where does that leave us? Feeling a deep heartache, that we could have never prepared for. When we are in the depth of pain from any of those situations, how we react will show where our hearts truly lie.
In the passage above, we see how Paul was trying to make a point in telling the Roman congregation that man, should not be the ones calling for “Karma or Revenge,” they should be the ones choosing peace. That absolutely doesn’t make sense in the perspective of the world, and that’s why so many popular songs on the radio right now are about getting revenge on others or holding grudges, but is that what Paul is saying that Christians should act like? No! He is saying that a Christian shouldn’t have ANYTHING to do with karma, grudges, or revenge (and that includes what music we are listening to — what we listen to in our free time, sticks). Paul tells us that Christ is calling for us to live at peace with every single person, no matter how they have made us feel. Even if we feel betrayed or abandoned by someone, we have to live peaceably with them, and wish good on them. This is the absolute opposite of karma. And peace is what God calls us to have with everyone.
Ideas for Evil For Evil:
Challenge yourself to be more empathetic for a whole week. Try to put yourself in others shoes and getting to know their side of the situation.
Pray for that person daily to find a close relationship with God.
Sit down one evening this week, and write a list of all of the things that you are holding a grudge against, and then pray through each of them everyday. Pray for strength to let them go.
Do a small act of kindness towards the person who has wronged you.
Find 5 positives things about each person you are holding a grudge against, and start focusing on those over the other things.
Write down at least 5 things each day this week that you are thankful for.
Conclusion:
So in the world today, will you choose to go against the flow, and choose peace over evil. We can’t choose evil for evil, like the world says we should, we can only follow the pattern of how God says we should be acting. Will we let go of the “evil for evil” attitude, and put on the “peace with all” attitude instead. The choice is yours. Karma is heavy, but peace is light!
About the Author: My name is Katie, and I’m a Church of Christ Preacher’s wife in Kentucky. I am also a proud homeschool mom to two brilliant boys. I love to craft, and make and bind my own notebooks. I also make a weekly podcast show called “Just Bible No Fluff",” where I skip all of fluffy extras and hop right into a short yet impactful exegetical study of the scripture. My mission and vision in life is this: “To empower women Spiritually by enhancing their skills in deep Bible study, equipping them to effectively teach the Gospel to others, and guiding them in cultivating Spiritual growth beyond the Church building.”