Instead of Getting Even, Here’s a Better Idea
Doing some reading this weekend, I was reminded of a great verse that gets hidden in other great verses around it, at least for me. I often focus on the verse just preceding it which requires some attention in order to live out carefully. However, the verse right below it is so essential as well. I hear you, “What is the verse, already?”
Instead of Evil, Pursue What Is Good
The Apostle Paul writes:
Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. (1 Thessalonians 5:14-15, emphasis added)
Notice what Paul explains for us to do: Do not pay back evil for evil to anyone, but instead, always pursue what is good for one another and for all.
Allow me to share three general ideas to get your day started and your new week.
How does this change my day and week?
- When someone wrongs you, choose goodness over evil. It is so tempting to respond to evil with evil. When someone sins against us in a conversation, it is so easy to want to sin in return. If we are cut off while driving, what do we say, think, or do? If someone talks about us behind your back and you hear about it, evil comes quickly if we are not careful. Let’s be honest – some days it is very easy to sin when someone wrongs us rather than choose good.
- Do good regardless of who the person is. Sometimes the Bible limits our response to only those who are saved, are of the household of faith, or part of the “one anothers” for Christians. However, this is not one of those cases. Rather, here, we respond to anyone with good rather than evil. We cannot carve out a group of people to which we cannot be good when sinned against.
- Pursue what is good for you and them. Here again, this advice pushes back from the world’s culture. Often we are encouraged to do what is good for us, to maintain our own voice, or to remember our personal agency when we respond to another person. However, the Bible teaches here to pursue what is good for you and them. Yes, one eye needs to be on what is good for you; nonetheless, we must also focus on what is good for them. Simply stated, we cannot only consider what is good for us alone; we must pursue good for the other person as well. As you know, this is not always convenient, but is a necessity.
As you begin your new day and week, strive along with me to not repay evil for evil, but instead, pursue good for anyone.
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KevinCarson.com | Wisdom for Life in Christ Together
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