We all know too well that evil exists in this world. It's tough enough just trying to navigate around sin on our own, but it gets even more challenging when we lead others through this evil.
And when we face evil, there are three responses that any one of us can take.
1. Return Evil for Evil 👎
The first response is probably the easiest – and that's to return evil for evil. We push back twice as hard as we are pushed. We give back what's been given to us and then some.
You hurt me; I'll hurt you. You disrespect me; I'll disrespect you. You make me look bad; I'll make you look worse. You talk bad about me; I'll talk bad about you.
And if we are honest, we've all done those things at some point in our lives. Yet none of us think we're evil. But whether we are malicious or not, our actions are wrong when we return evil for evil.
2. Become a Victim of It 👎
The second response to evil is to become a victim of it. We become victims of corruption when we allow apathy or cynicism to take root in our lives. We become victims of sin when we allow it to wash over us, and as a result, we become collateral damage to the evil actions of others.
Allowing ourselves to become a victim of evil steals our dreams. Becoming a victim of evil takes away our purpose and identity in life.
3. Fight it with Goodness 👍
Rather than fighting fire with fire, we can choose to battle evil with good.
We battle evil with good by not just thinking of good things but by doing good things.
It's combating the negative with the positive.It's inserting goodness into the world.It's putting goodness into our families by what we say and do.
God tells us to battle evil with good.
In Matthew 5:39, Jesus says, "But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also."
In 1 Peter 3:9, Peter says, "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 grant you his blessing."
In 1 Thessalonians 5:15, Paul says, "See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people."
And Solomon, one of the wisest men to ever live, gave this excellent advice when he said, "Don't say, "I will get even for this wrong." Wait for the LORD to handle the matter." Proverbs 20:22
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