Bless those who persecute you;  bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Be in agreement with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes.  Romans 12:17 HCSB

I have always found that what I want to do is usually the opposite of what God tells me to do.  This scripture passage is a prime example.  When someone speaks out against me or comes against me in some way, the last thing I want to do is bless that person.  I want to seek revenge.  But God’s word tells me to do just the opposite.  The last thing I want to do is provide for the needs of someone who has been mean to me, but that’s exactly what this scripture passage tells me to do.

When someone has wronged me,  I am not happy when they are happy, I am happy when they are upset. This is just the opposite of what God tells me to do. There is nothing honorable about plotting revenge or being happy when someone else is hurting. There is nothing honorable about being angry because someone else is happy. God clearly tells us in our scripture passage that we rejoice when they rejoice and weep when they weep. In other words, have compassion. He tells us to act in a way that is honorable. Our actions should bring honor to God. But when I’m mad at someone, that is not what I want to do.

What I want to do is seek revenge and teach that person a lesson.  I want that person to know that they have messed with the wrong person this time. But I have learned that if I leave that to God, he will take good care of that problem.

You see the Bible tells me to focus on God and He will handle everything else (Matthew 6:33-34).  The Bible tells me to love my enemies and pray for those that persecute me (Matthew 5:43-48).

I have found that a good rule of thumb is to never act out of anger.  When I get angry I have to choose and choose quickly.  I can act out of anger and do something that goes against God’s word or I can pray and seek God’s will for me in this particular situation.  I have also learned that doing what I want to do generally leads to bigger problems down the road.  But, when I do what God would have me to do, things get better for me much quicker.

We know the devil puts people in our paths to destroy our witness.  We are called to be different and many times this requires doing the opposite of what everyone else would do or what we want to do. We also have to beware of those around us that will say things like, “If they had done that to me, I would have made them sorry.” There are those who are lost that will encourage us to do things that clearly go against God’s word. This provides a good opportunity for us to witness to them.

We must remember that these circumstances are simply spiritual warfare. There is a war going on for your soul. The flesh is warring with the Spirit for control. We are told in Galatians 5:16 that if we walk by the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh. The flesh will tell us to do what is opposite God’s commands. We should never do what the flesh tells us to do. God’s word is in opposition to what the flesh wants and we should always obey God’s Word.

This seems like a rather confusing way to live, doesn’t it? That’s what I thought. But, I have learned that the closer I get to God through prayer and Bible study, the easier it becomes. When I live a life walking with God’s Holy Spirit and asking His Holy Spirit to fill my heart, it is easier to do what God calls me to do. Galatians 5:16 holds true. The more I walk in the Spirit, the less I want to gratify the desires of the flesh.

If you struggle with this, draw closer to Him (James 4:8) Trust in Him to help you be obedient and handle these situations as His word tells us to handle them.

So, the next time someone comes against you, I ask you to do one thing.  Stop! Understand that you are not at war with this person, but you are engaging in Spiritual warfare. Take a minute to pray.  Recall these Bible verses and know that whatever you do, you want to be in God’s will.  You want His will to be done, not yours. Then act according to God’s will by being obedient to His Word.

Have a great day!