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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