Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called that you might inherit a blessing. For “Those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit; let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:8-12, NRSV)
When someone does you wrong, what is the first things that goes through your mind?
How you can get back at them?
How much they hurt you and should be hurt just as much?
These are what we are wired to think about. We are wired to take care of number 1, ourselves. And when someone hurts us, they need to pay.
But Peter tells us that this is not how it is for those of us who follow Jesus. We need to keep our tongues from evil and not look to doing evil to anyone, regardless of what they did to us. We are not to repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse. We need to rise above the ways of everyone else and follow Jesus, loving everyone because they are a child of God.
It is countercultural to love your enemies and to do good to those who hurt or harm you, but Jesus never said it would be easy, after all He said we have to bear our cross everyday.
aSacredRebel 