Return evil for....evil? Is that what we do?

I just read  "Happy Happy Happy, The Legend of Duck Commander" by Phil Robertson, and it was very interesting learning about his life struggles and what he learned from it, but the chapter called "River Rats" really caught my attention. I highly recommend reading that chapter, even if you read nothing else in it, go to the library and spend 15 minutes in a comfy chair and read. :) I suppose that is what led me to write about this...that and I also happened to randomly choose a chapter to read and it was Romans 12, which is all about how we treat others. Funny how that happens.  So how do we treat people we don't like, those we consider more evil than ourselves? That raises a question I want you to ponder first. Why do we treat some other people differently when we all deserve the same fate? Even if the worse you have done is disobeyed your parents, you still deserve hell. So ask yourself, "Why if we all are equal, equally sinful, do I feel uncomfortable and put off by someone doing wrong? Why do I treat them with an upturned nose and avoid them? If someone does ME wrong, why do I still feel like I need to keep them at arms length or run them out of my life?".  It is not easy being kind to someone who has wronged you, it isn't normal in the world we live in, and we commonly see evil being dealt to those who are kind. Seeing this is very discouraging and it makes it hard for us to follow some commands that we see repeated in the Bible, it can be summed up in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus says in Matthew 5:44, "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,".  When we read this, we play down the description of love. Do we think about loving our enemies the same way as we interpret other verses about loving our friends and family? Or even how Jesus loves us? One example Jesus gave about loving your enemies was while He was on the cross, he prayed, "Father, forgive them, they don't know what they do." Could you do that while you are being put to death? How about when someone steals from you, what thoughts would cross your mind?

I am sure this question also crosses your mind as it does mine, "Why should I go out of my way to be kind when I know that it won't do any good? I may even get hurt in the end instead!".  Yes that is true, but what if you don't? What if your actions encourage that person to think about what makes you different from everyone else? It could encourage them to find God. More often than not, we do not see how our actions effect the people around us. Have people gotten hurt from being kind? Sadly, the answer is yes. God knows that some people won't change, in Romans 12:18 it says, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." See? God acknowledges that some people insist on sticking with evil, we won't be able to rid the world of it just by kindness to all. God is the only one who will be able to get rid of evil at His second coming, but it can be better by listening to God's word. Act with kindness, love, gentleness, peace, and forgiveness.

How do we get this wrong? Sometimes it is just the little things people do that make us irritated, mad, and annoyed at another person. Enemies don't always have to be someone that is out to hurt you, it can just be someone you dislike. Some of my faults are being annoyed with other drivers, getting mad at those in government positions taking away my freedoms, people who always seem to find something to criticize, those who only think of what is comfortable for them and not anyone else, and more. Instead of being irritated and wishing they would just go away, our response should be to pray for them. We don't know their life story, we don't know why they act the way they do. Even if we disagree with someone, we should pray for them and ask God to guide them to the path He wishes and to open their hearts to Him.

On a final note, I feel that when we act this way, we are judging the individual and putting them in a situation where we judge them as being unworthy of our love and kindness. This is also an issue Jesus addresses in his Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 7 He says, "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?"  I feel we do this a lot nowadays. We judge a certain sin as abhorrent without acknowledging the sins in our own life as being just as bad. When he says not to judge, it isn't saying not to confront an individual, but make sure you are of the right mind and attitude to speak. Just as you prepare to take communion so should you prepare to speak to another about sin. We have to self-examine ourselves and acknowledge our own sins, realize that you are a sinful human being as well in need of forgiveness.  Do not speak to someone about their sin with a self-righteous attitude. Speak with humbleness, understanding, and love.

Pray over these things:
What do you do that displeases God in dealing with your enemies?
What enemies do you have in your life now?
How can you treat them in the way that is pleasing to God?
How can you include them in your prayers?
How do you approach the uncomfortable situation of speaking to others about sin?