Repay no one evil with evil!

I have been having an ongoing issue with one of my co-workers and daily I try to start a new with her.  I try to bring a fresh perspective and open mind to each day and desperately try to meet her where she is.  I know that she is a wounded person.  I know that she has taken stock of her life and isn’t necessarily where she expected herself to be, and that is what is causing her to act out, but it becomes increasingly harder, with each passing day, to overlook her negativity. 

My job is quite competitive, and though, I am a competitive person by nature, I am not one to be boastful or conceited with my accomplishments.  I understand that my blessings are given to me from God, and for me to take any credit is taking the credit away from God.   God deserves the glory and recognition for anything good that comes my way, and I fully understand that. 

 I try very hard to be supportive and uplifting, and sometimes, yes, I fail miserably at this but I do give it a strong effort.   It is very hard to constantly be supportive to someone who expresses anger, negativity and hate constantly.

I tend to be an emotional sponge.  I haven’t decided if this is a good or bad thing, but I can truly be affected by the energy and emotions around me.  So imagine every day trying to come in with a fresh perspective and emotional outlook and within a matter of moments having hate flung at you.   It affects me and as hard as I try, and pray, I don’t seem to make any headway.

Today was a particularly difficult day with this person.  It seemed I couldn’t do anything right with them from the moment I walked in the door.  I could feel the anger and resentment towards them rising inside of me, and I knew in any moment I was going to explode and meet their evil with a dose of my own.

I tried my best to remove myself from the situation and keep calm.  I am glad to report that I was able to keep my emotions at bay while in their presence but had quite a few internal outbursts.   My flesh so desperately wants to return the cold, rude demeanor I receive from them on a daily basis with the same behavior.   I want to go head to head and give them a dose of their own behavior.  Partly to feel a bit better, but only for the moment, and to show them how they are acting.   But alas I never do.

I know that there is a broken part to this person and that they are sharing with everyone, not just me, that brokenness.  You know the term a hurting person hurts people.  I know that they are hurting and the way for them to feel any sense of relief is by sharing their pain with everyone.  I try to keep a grasp on this and the fact that what would it serve me or anyone, including the person, for me to treat them the way they are treating me.   Again, difficult to do at times.

Tonight I was reading again, in Romans 12:19 how we are not to seek revenge.  We are not to try to get equal with a person who has harmed us.  Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for (God’s) wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite) says the Lord. (20) But if your enemy is hungry feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head. (21) Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good.

I had read these three verses the night before and they stuck in my head, as today was a particularly difficult day with them.  I thought how nice it would be to get even.  How good it would feel to give back to them the torment that they are giving to me, and then I thought, no, I can’t behave this way.  I have to do what Jesus would want me to do and that is to allow Him to handle this situation.

As much as it burned me up inside to be quiet, it was the right thing for me to do.  I have to hand this over to God and allow Him to settle the score, so to speak.   I need to instead of chastising them and feeling evil and contempt for them I need to bless them.   This to me can be the most difficult part!  I need to be kind and treat them kindly.  I need to show them and give them Jesus, in this moment. 

In verse 21 we see that we are not to let ourselves be overcome with evil but to overcome evil with good.  So if I were to go right back at this person with the same animosity that they are showing everyone else, I would be doing exactly what verse 21 is telling me not to do.  I would be meeting evil with evil.  I would be bowing down to evil and allowing it to overcome me.   That’s not why Jesus died for me, or you, or them.

Jesus died so that we can overcome evil with good.  I am sure there were many times that Jesus wanted to repay someone’s wrong doing to Him, with the same behavior, but He didn’t, He rose above the evil and showed them good. 

Let’s say that I did take the situation into my own hands, and was mean right back to them, what did I prove?   What would my actions have done to me?  My actions would not have come back to me with love and affection?  No, my actions would have placed me in the same space that my co-worker is and that’s in evil behavior.  Notice, I didn’t say they are evil; I said their behavior is evil.

One of our jobs as Christians is to show the world, believers and non-believers Jesus.  We are to be His hands and feet in this world, so would Jesus ever want to be represented in that fashion?  He would never be proud of my behavior if I would have returned their behavior with what they were giving me.   He wants us to return evil with good.

He has given us the example of who to be and it is up to us, to walk in that example.  I will not lie to you, my skin was crawling and the words were formed in my mind, and ready to come off my lips, but I didn’t fall to it.  I walked out of the room and took a minute to myself.  

This is a big accomplishment for me, as I am usually open with my feelings, or lack of feelings.   I am not saying I handled the situation perfectly, but what I am saying is I did better today, than I did yesterday.  I didn’t return evil with evil, but I tried to meet evil with Jesus.

Every time we make a change, or step out into a new behavior, it’s going to be difficult.  It’s going to be painful and take a lot of effort to see it through, but hopefully, what happens is the next time this situation arises, I will be able to handle it with less emotion.   Maybe next time I will be able to keep my thoughts not only to myself, but I won’t have them at all.

Paul gives us instructions in Romans on how to succeed at being better people.  How to handle situations that we will all come into every single day, it is up to us, if we choose to listen to the words Paul shared with us.  Every time you make the decision to be a little more like Jesus and less like your old man, you are setting a good example for the people around you.  You are showing them God through your behavior or lack of behavior.

That’s the goal right?  That’s what this is all about.  We are here to glorify God and bring people to the Lord.  The only way we are going to be able to do that successfully is to walk out in our daily lives the directions that God has given to us in His book, the Bible.   When we decide to take a stand no matter how small or large, we are leading by example and trust me someone is watching you, and taking note of your character. 

When you lead by example not only are you changing yourself but you are changing the people around you and in the end bringing glory and honor to God!