Leave It With God

Scripture Reading: Romans 12:14, 19-19

14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.

17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. 19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.

Reflection:

When someone hurts you, everything in you wants the scales balanced. A jab for a jab, a word for a word. Paul cuts through that with a blunt command: never take revenge. Notice he doesn't leave room for exceptions. He says leave it to God, because justice is His job, not yours. Then he goes further and tells you to feed your enemy when they are hungry (Romans 12:20-21).

That's not weakness. It is trusting that God sees everything.

Joseph later held the power to punish his brothers and chose not to. Years ago, someone called me terrible names! Yet, I kept choosing kindness even when she wouldn't speak to me. You cannot control how someone receives your goodness. You can only control whether you offer it. Today, carry one small, quiet act of kindness toward someone who has wronged you. Let God handle the rest of it.

Application Question: Who has wronged you, and what is one specific act of kindness you could offer them this week?