Romans 12.14-21 Vengeance

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ...If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord."But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.Romans 12:14‭-‬21 NASB

I enjoy watching a good crime mystery on TV. There's something satisfying about seeing the smarmy, arrogant villain get his in the end. Life, however, is not like TV. The good guys don't have all he answers, and the villain often gets away it.

Some of us are touched by violent crime, but most of us - at least in the United States - face lesser forms of villainy. A co-worker who makes snide remarks; a friend who spreads malicious gossip; a boss who makes your life miserable; a bully who has picked you to be his target.

The natural, human response to any situation in which you are the victim is to fight back. Lash out with angry words; try to get that co-worker fired; hire Liam Neeson to come in and beat them into submission (maybe not).

But how does the Bible tell us to respond to bullies? By blessing them. Counter to all of our human drives, we are to bless those who persecute us. No cursing. Don't pray that God will bring them down. Pray that God will bless them.

Remember, your personal bully is lost, just as you once were. What they need is not vengeance, but salvation. They need to have the Holy Spirit in their life to change them from a hateful bully to a loving servant. Yes, God can do that, and He wants to do that.

Want to make things even more awkward? Go beyond praying for God's blessings and be nice to your enemies. Is he hungry? Feed him. Is he thirsty? Give him a drink. If you see that your enemy has a need, do what you can to meet that need. Who knows if these acts of kindness will turn his heart toward God.

What if, in spite of your prayers, blessings, and acts of kindness, your enemy doesn't change? Some people are prone to dig in their heals, reject God, and rain terror down upon every person they can.

Our response doesn't change. Continue to be a blessing in honor of Jesus.

But, perhaps it is a consolation that, one day, they will pay for their crimes. They will face the wrath of God. By doing good to those who torment you, you are heaping burning coals on their head.

If you allow yourself the luxury of revenge, you will become like your enemy. You will have been overcome by evil. The way to overcome evil is not by revenge, but by doing good.