1 Peter 3:9 - "Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it."
When someone wrongs me, the first thing I want to do is get them back. I want them to feel the same pain that I felt. I want to make sure they know how wrong they are and I want them to apologize and ask me to forgive them. So here is my question: How can we do this? Is it even possible? If someone hurls an insult at you, are you really supposed to return a compliment to them? In one word, the answer is YES.
The world will tell you that if someone is mean to you, that you should be mean to them in return. If someone hates you, then you should hate them in return... but not if you are a follower of Christ... Not if the Holy Spirit is living inside of you... We are called to be like Christ. The world HATED Him, but He LOVED the world anyways... He gave up his life for His enemies. Check out this verse:
Luke 6:27-29 - "But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also."
If we did this, what would our homes look like? What would our schools look like? What would our sports teams look like? Probably different than they are right now...
Would this end the gossip chain? Would this show the world what Christ is REALLY like? Would this draw others to Jesus? Yes, yes and yes.
Who has cursed you lately? Who do you need to bless? Will you obey?
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