1 PETER 3:9

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

TO PONDER

“I just want closure…”, “Karma will catch up with them…”, “Let me tell you my side of the story…”, are all versions of wanting people to pay for how they have hurt us.

Many years ago I watched an interview with a mother of a child who disappeared on a family camping trip, the child was kidnapped from a tent and had never been found. Every year as the anniversary of the date of the disappearance approached someone claiming to be the kidnapper would call the parents as well as send taunting letters to the family.

In the interview the heartbroken mother shared how the seemingly justified anger and hate towards this individual was destroying.

Being a follower of Jesus she knew what the counterintuitive response was towards this evil person should be, she forgave, she prayed blessing over the offender every day. She would wake up everymorning and ask God to bless him, to prosper his life, that he would have a great day.  With tears in my eyes my prayer life changed from then on. If this lady who was in the midst of the unfathomable life shattering experience could forgive someone of the unforgivable, then surely I could forgive someone for insulting me.

In today’s verse we discover the counterintuitive truth of protecting our hearts from evil, forgive and be a blessing.

PRAYER: Forgiving Saviour, I repent of my hard heart, for every time I have wanted people to pay for those offences against me, and the times I have reacted with actions to get ‘pay-back’. I ask you to help me become a person of blessing towards everyone around me.  Amen.