Overcome Evil with Good // Romans 12:21
I think it’s important to read today’s verse in context. Check out Romans 12:17-21…
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.
18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written:
It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
The key to today’s text is vengeance. We can want to lash out and seek revenge when we experience injustice. The Apostle Paul’s instruction was not to do so; rather, trusting God to make it right. This is because we as humans are incapable of making someone whole. So when we experience injustice, God wants us to meet it with a positive approach as opposed to a negative approach. That isn’t easy, but it frees us of the burden for retribution. Sure, doing good to someone who has done ill can be terribly difficult, but such is the life of faith. Living accordingly is like heaping those burning coals Paul referenced on someone’s head. After all, isn’t it far better to hand them off as opposed to allowing your own life to get consumed with a blazing rage? I think so.
