Recently I told a friend to pray for those who persecute you. I didn’t know that a few weeks later I would need to take my own advice. Today I read that we should pray for those who wrong us even if we pray with clenched fists and gritted teeth. Wow, that hit home!
Sometimes we want to hold on to the hurt. We want to roll around in the pain. That isn’t spiritually healthy and may result in our moving away from God.
44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. -Matthew 5:44-45
In bad situations we need to pray for self-control. We can’t change the actions of others, but we can change our reaction. It’s easy to fall into a passive aggressive trap of revenge. It’s nothing blatant, just a snide remark here, a sarcastic answer there. We that follow Christ are instructed not to avenge ourselves. We should not look to get even.
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. -Romans 12:17
I’m not sure if this devotion is just for me or if perhaps someone else might need it too. Merry Christmas and thanks for letting me share.