"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." Romans 12:20
Does your temper often get the best of you, because of what someone says or does to you? Do you find it hard refraining from exploding simply because the nerve that is next to your last nerve had been plucked? Has it been easy for others to push your buttons resulting in a few choice words expressing how you really feel? Have you ever been in a predicament where your reactions were contrary to the “new you” that you’ve grown to be? If any of this is close to what you have experienced in your lifetime, know that you are not alone. Most of us, whether we are honest with ourselves or not, will have or have already had moments where we let the moment get the best of us.
I, for one, know how frustrating it is to let something creep under your skin when you’ve done your best not to let it affect you. Yet and still it does. And before you know it your returning the very same thing that was delivered to you. This is exactly what it was designed to do. No matter what the situation, the argument, or the disagreement was the ultimate goal and objective was to get us to feed into it. And before we know it, we’ve lost our civility. We have “laid our ‘ligion down”.
If this is familiar, no need to despair. All hope is not lost. My first encouragement to you today is to know that everything does not require a response… Especially when you have yet to get your thoughts together. (Tell your neighbor “Hear this…” ) – Before you respond to whatever it is, before you “go-off”, please take time to get yourself together before you respond. Amen somebody!
Before Jesus responded to the adulterous women’s accusers in John chapter 8, He had a moment to collect Himself before He responded. You know the story, Jesus bent down and wrote in the ground, and then He responded… I like to think Jesus ignored them for second. Sometimes you have to ignore to ignorance of others and give them the benefit of the doubt. Nevertheless, He paused before He responded.
Paul also tells us the same, yet in another way. Paul reminds us not to be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Instead of proving that the strife in our lives has accomplished what it was designed to accomplish, we ought to prove it wrong. Instead of allowing the inner rage and anger take over and come out, spend more time and energy asking God to deliver you, and then leave room for God to handle it.
“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody (including God)… leave room for God’s wrath” (Rm 12:17,19). While God is handling it, do your best to be a blessing in the mist of whatever it is. Do your best to show that what is meant for evil, God has turned it around for your good! Instead feeding into the strife, kill it with kindness. Instead of giving it a piece of your mind, keep your mind in tack and kill it with kindness. Instead of cussing them out… smile, and tell them God Bless You and Kill it with Kindness!
