Do not
repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this
you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
1 Peter
3:9
Just
yesterday we looked at the gospel of Luke and how we are called as Christians
to love our enemies, bless those who curse you and pray for those who
despitefully use you… Today, we examine other aspects of our walk that lead to
growth and display our acceptance of Jesus as the model for our lives… Peter was a man that faced many challenges,
from the time he wept in the courtyard to standing before the courts of the
Pharisee’s, Peter saw many trials and tribulations… It is in today’s
reading that he reminds us that we can’t act like everyone else in the world,
we can’t conduct business the way people conduct business and we cannot stoop
to the levels of society that would lead us to straying away from our walk with
the Lord… Peter was known as a man that didn't care for too many shenanigans;
many scholars speak of Peter as being the kind of guy that you would think
twice before messing with… All these things lead me to believe that Peter had a
very quick temper; however, under the guidance of the Lord Peter teaches us
today that we can’t be reactive, we can’t jump to conclusion, we can’t be like
everyone else… How hard is it for you to
turn away from somebody who has done you wrong? How hard is it to walk away
from a person who has insulted you and/or gotten under your skin…? Peter
reminds us today that as a child of God we show our faith by taking these
actions! Despite how we may have reacted as a product of the world, today we
are reminded that we must have a different approach as a child of God… Quite
frankly there are things in our lives that we use to do which will not be
accepted nor tolerated in living a life that is pleasing to our Lord…
I know that
biting your tongue can be difficult, extending a loving hand to your adversary
may be challenging and turning the other check can be a daunting task; however,
the words from Peter are not only that these are things that you must do, but
that these traits are obtainable when walking under the authority of God… You
are and will be called blessed by adhering the desires of God and being about
His business… As you grow in Christ, He
will begin to mold you so that you can repay evil with good and insults with
blessings… This is not something accomplished overnight and I know that there
are many times that we would like to give somebody a piece of our mind, there
are many instances where we have felt that we were wronged and wanted to
retaliate or address the situation. We must know and realize that by
retaliating we are fueling the fire of sin and anger and replacing the promise
of God (vengeance is mine saith the Lord, I will repay…) with our own agenda. Temptation comes in many forms and “evil
intentions” is one of the main forms that the devil will use to try and gain
your attention and distract you from doing the will of God!
Understand
that by walking away you will inherit blessings; this is not a sign of weakness
but maturity… As a Christian we all need to remember that God didn't repay us
for our evil and sin, He responded with a blessing in the form of Jesus Christ…
Blessings poured out in times of evil
reap a harvest of glory and honor to God! Jesus didn't repay the roman
soldiers that hung Him on the cross, He sought there forgiveness than bowed His
head; now He sits at the right hand of the father and all power has been placed
in His hands! Let us draw strength from His example, live your life according
to the will of God, when evil arises in your life, pour out the spirit of
blessings that God has poured out on you… Speak
a kind word to your enemy, lend a hand to someone who has betrayed you, and
seek there forgiveness even when they have sought forgiveness from you…
When you do these things, you rebuke Satan’s attack and store up more blessings
from God in heaven… God has promised that you will be exalted in the face of
evil (thou preparest a table for me in the presences of mine enemies…) so stand
on faith in God and don’t take matters into your own hands… The Lord knows how
many times you keep quite and don’t overact; He will do the talking for you and
will reward you openly with blessings…
BE BLESSED!!!
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