"Repay no one evil for evil" v17 of Romans 12:14-17 NKJV
This can also be known as 'Tit for Tat’ repaying eye for an eye. Back in Babylonian times, one of the kings brought in The Code of Hammurabi, recognised then as The Lex Talionis, or in other words, The Law of Tit for Tat. Jesus abolished the old law and introduced a non-resentment and non-retaliation code - Love.
Sadly, it still exists in some quarters where people seek revenge for things done to them. But this is not the way Jesus would have us behave. Yes, people hurt us and do all sorts of unkind things to maim us. However, we are called to be like Jesus and refuse to retaliate and allow God room to handle this for us. And He will!
As I've mentioned in the past, when we have asked Jesus to be our Lord and Saviour, we have died to self. Our sins have been forgiven and we belong to Him. Baptism by submersion is symbolic of this. When we go under the water, we are dying to our old life. When we come out of the water again, we are being raised to a new life in Jesus.
Therefore, we are dead to reaction. Dead men don't react. So when we are treated badly, we refuse to act badly in return. One may say that this is rather like being a doormat. However, check Jesus' reactions when in similar circumstances; He was mostly silent to His accusers. This is hard to accept but, we need to adopt this attitude.
I once read a book called The Passion for Souls by a Canadian pastor called Oswald J Smith. It had been written around the 1950's. He had preached a sermon about reactions and had entitled the sermon, 'No Attack - No Defence' and this is something that has remained with me for around 40 years. It is a discipline, one that is learnt over a time - it is rarely instant. We don't retaliate or attack, we just leave it all to Jesus.
Thoughts come into our minds about what someone has said to us or, what they may have done to hurt us. It serves no purpose to focus on this; we need to refuse to think about such things. These thoughts are from the devil, sent to antagonise and intimidate us. They have the ability to keep us immobile. Stop thinking them by replacing your thoughts with wholesome things such as:
'Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. ' Philippians 4:8 NKJV
'And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him'. Colossians 3:3:15-17 NKJV
Think about good things and refuse to listen to things that will not build you up. But most of all. Watch your Reactions
Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.
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