Instead of feeling helpless or overwhelmed by the world’s evil, I am glad God gives us a recipe to follow for overcoming evil with good.
But consider this bit of wisdom: “If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink; because if you treat him kindly, it will be like heaping hot coals on top of his head.”Never let evil get the best of you; instead, overpower evil with the good. Romans 12:20-21 The Voice
How do we focus on treating evil with kindness?
At times, I feel quite overwhelmed about all that is going on around me and I want to pull the covers over my head. However, when I talk with God, He reminds me I can fight the injustices I see or promote biblical goodness by using the God-given gifts, skills and abilities to create something that is good, through His strength. I find it helpful and refreshing actually to have a path cleared to do something in these times of COVID 19. I can take a breath.
Fight the injustices
Depending on your personality, you may choose to fight the injustices you see. My personality is not a fighter so I fight in different ways. However, opportunities abound to get involved even online to fight injustice.
For example, getting out the vote right now for the election next week could be your big push. Getting involved in racial equality or gender equality could be other areas. Ask God who needs your help in terms of injustices. Any nonprofit helping the homeless gathering clothes and coats for winter could be another example. These are just a few of the myriad of examples I am sure you could come up with in terms of injustices you see in your community and across the nation that can be served safely during COVID.
Someone else I know has started community zoom meetings to gather business leaders together in a forum so they can plan how to support each other in these tough economic times.
My way of fighting injustice right now is praying. I am to pray for my community, my nation, my leaders. God says He hears the prayers of His people. Prayers can be powerful weapons when we call out to Him in prayer.
Share biblical goodness
Or God may be leading you to use your gifts, skills and talents to share biblical goodness to your family, your neighbors, online or in your community. What could that look like?
For example, one friend has started a weekly newsletter denoting the humorous activities of her family and sharing it widely. She wants to instill hope and lightness among her loved ones.
Another family has started their own private family facebook page where they share photos, tidbits about each other’s lives and resources that can be helpful to each other. In addition, a family zoom call happens each week, and the young grandkids share their thoughts and antics of the week. Often the littlest one is heard to say, “I can’t see.” Personalities are shared and love cemented in those calls.
What could you share with others? Humor, beauty, care, photos, resources. I am sure you could continue this list.
What actions can you make?
What is your belief system about your actions making a difference? Like a pebble thrown into the water, the ripples of goodness spread out across the surface of the water. God says that we are to give water and food to our enemies. Who is that for you and what could you do?
As a child, I remember these Bible verses of heaping hot coals on someone’s head. For some reason, the story has stuck with me all these years, an unusual vision of doing something kind being seen as hot coals on someone’s head, an oxymoron. I realize now by being kind, the person receiving the kindness is not what they expected as an enemy.
My vision now is of heaping hot coals of grace and kindness into others’ lives. What hot coals can you heap into others’ lives, especially now in times of strife?
May I pray for you this week?
Lord Jesus,
You tell us we have choices by Your power and strength to overcome evil with good. Open our eyes to the simple ways we may do that this next week. Help us keep our eyes on You as we seek to heap grace and kindness wherever we go.
In Your name we pray,
Amen
If this post is helpful to you, could you share it with others? Or if there is a way that I can be praying specifically for you to fight evil in your life, would you reply to this post? I want to be of service to you in your life and the lives of others. I look forward to walking with you in the world “for such a time as this.”