Romans 12:20-21
Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
There is an old adage shared in caregiving circles that suggests (I’m paraphrasing) that those receiving care often “bite the hand that feeds them.” In other words, if you are a caregiver, you probably get a lot of complaints and ingratitude – if not downright personal attacks – from the person for whom you are caring.
Even if you are not a caregiver, you may experience this in your daily living – from a fellow classmate, a co-worker, a family member, neighbor, or fellow church member. It may seem like the more you do for this person, the worse they treat you. And it is human nature for us to want to retaliate… to “give this person a dose of his/her own medicine”… to lash out – or even to turn our back on them and walk away.
I think one of the hardest actions for a Christian to master is treating others kindly – even generously – when they have offered us anything but kindness. Loving the unlovely is incredibly challenging sometimes. Doing this with the right attitude is even more difficult.
See, caregivers have to keep caregiving. You may have to continue to go to class with that irritating classmate – or work with the person who is unkind. You can’t always move away from unpleasant neighbors or distance yourself from a church member who rubs you the wrong way. And you most certainly cannot divorce your family – although many have wanted to do exactly that! So often, we treat these people kindly and with civility – but in our hearts, we are not feeling very charitable. We may even plot “mental revenge!”
God wants us to operate in a spirit of charity and kindness – no matter who or what comes our way. He wants our heart to be as generous and loving as our actions. This is a HUGE challenge… one I do not mean to diminish in the least… and I can assure you that I struggle with it daily! But we must ask God to continue to work in us – to fill us with so much joy and completeness in Him that nothing flaps us.
Ask God to help you work on your heart. Call on Him to give you a spirit of goodness and generosity toward others – from your head to your heart to your toes! The better you become at doing this, the lighter your heart will feel… the more joy and peace you will experience. Another adage says, “Living well is the best revenge.” Revel in demonstrating kindness and love… let God handle the paybacks… and truly live well in the LORD.
©2012 Debbie Robus
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