Hope When Words Hurt

Hope When Words Hurt RON BEERS “Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone … Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.” Romans 12:17-18, 21 (NLT) Growing up I heard the adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” Is there a more inaccurate phrase? Words hurt. They can do lasting damage, and once they are out of our mouths, words can’t ever be put back. As a dad, I remember my kids coming home from school or the playground with tears streaming down their faces from a hurtful remark. In those moments it would take every ounce of self-control and restraint to not let the Papa Bear start to roar. Reflecting on those years, I’m struck by my kids’ willingness to forgive their offenders. While I would hold on to the frustration and wonder what kind of parent would let their child verbally hurt another child, my kids would accept the apology and soon be off playing and laughing again. Personal offenses aren’t limited to childhood. As we mature, those seeming attacks from others can start to gnaw away at us. We get cut off in traffic, disrespected by a coworker or insulted by a spouse. In each case, we’re tempted to strike back, retaliate, give them their just desserts. But what does Paul say in Romans 12? “Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone … Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.” What? That seems so unfair. So what about the times when we mess up? If we got what we truly deserved, we would be in deep trouble for sure. But Christ gives us grace — undeserved favor. The grace Christ shows us is a guide for how we should treat others. The offender may deserve some judgment, but that’s not our job. By not reacting in anger and instead responding with good, we’re not excusing the bad behavior but showing a better way. We’re recognizing, forgiving and loving that person despite their misdeeds and sins against us. When we respond in this way, we forgive them just as Christ forgave us. If we love someone the way Christ loves us, we’re more willing to forgive someone. In a world that says I should do what’s best for myself, Paul’s command sounds almost impossible. When someone hurts me deeply, Paul says to show grace instead of giving them what they deserve. Why does Paul tell us to forgive those who do evil against us? First, forgiveness may break a cycle of retaliation and lead to mutual reconciliation. Second, it may bring contrition on the other person’s part. Finally, repaying evil for evil hurts me just as much as it hurts my enemy. Even if the person acting against me never repents, forgiving them will free me of a heavy load of bitterness. Forgiveness doesn’t mean the hurt goes away. Scars often stay with us. After all, even Christ still had the nail wounds in his hands. Forgiveness means we no longer shoulder the burden. Lord, I admit my tendency to strike back, to return evil with evil. Forgive me. Help me to remember Your love and grace for me to do good to others, even those who hurt me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. TRUTH FOR TODAY: 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 grant you his blessing.” (NLT) Psalm 34:14, “Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.” (NLT)

The Value of Obedience

The Value of Obedience

By Dr. Charles Stanley

Proverbs 2:1-6

Despite Peter's vast fishing experience, he returned from a night's work with nothing to show for his efforts. It's quite possible that the Lord's request to let the nets down one more time struck him as unreasonable—after all, Peter and his partners were the professionals. Nevertheless, the fisherman complied, and his obedience blessed many.

Scripture demonstrates that divine plans often defy human logic. For instance, who would design a battle strategy that involved only marching and shouting? God told Joshua to conquer Jericho that way, and doing so proved successful (Joshua 6:1-5).

Moses is another example. When he felt unsure about his leadership potential, the Lord gave reassurance in an unusual way—by telling him to throw down his walking stick. When Moses obeyed, God powerfully confirmed His choice of leader (Exodus 4:1-3).

Our Father may ask us to do something that seems illogical—perhaps to accept more responsibility when we were hoping to reduce our workload, to leave a position that He provided just recently, or to take on an assignment for which we feel ill-equipped. His plan might feel unrealistic in view of our age, stage of life, or health concerns. We must press forward in obedience, regardless of how impractical the request may appear.

To grasp the importance of obeying, think about children receiving instructions from parents or teachers. Careful listening is needed for the task to be done safely and properly. Some steps may seem pointless, but the rationale often becomes clear later. Always make obeying God your priority.

A Prayer to Strengthen Your Prayer Life

A Prayer to Strengthen Your Prayer Life
By Julie Gillies

“He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him” (1 John 5:14).

Whether you’re facing an impossible situation, stepping out into a new area, or trusting God for a miracle, prayer is arguably our most potent weapon as believers. 

Prayer is not only a privilege and a blessing, but through prayer our hearts are strengthened and encouraged. Through prayer the atmosphere of our homes and our hearts change. Through prayer God brings our hearts into alignment with His. And through prayer God works in surprising and incredible ways. 

One of the best investments we can make is taking time to strengthen the foundation of our prayer lives.

1.    Know who you are. 

When we surrender our hearts and lives to the Lord, everything changes. We change. We are now children of the Most High God (Psalm 82:6). We are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20), and we are joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). 

This places us in a position of unspeakable privilege. A position of authority (Mark 3:15). When we know who we are and Whose we are, we can pray from that vantage point, knowing we have the legal right to challenge the enemy’s authority, and the relational right to ask in faith.

2.    Know God is always listening. 

There’s nothing worse than spilling your heart to someone who is not giving you their undivided attention. But we not only have God’s heart, we have His ear. Jesus, speaking to His Father, said, “Yes, I know You always hear and listen to Me” (John 11:42). Because we are in Christ, we are assured that He always hear us, as well.

3.    Pray God’s Word. 

The most powerful prayers we can pray include Scripture. If God’s Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12), and it accomplishes the purposes for which God sends it (Isaiah 55:11), then praying Scripture is the wisest and most potent weapon in our prayer arsenal. 

One of the ways to do this is by personalizing Scripture. For instance: 

"I will be constantly aware of Your unfailing love and live according to your truth." (Psalm 26:3)

"Spread Your protection over ________." (Psalm 5:11b)

"Show ______ Your unfailing love in wonderful ways." (Psalm 17:7a)

We can pray real prayers. Raw prayers. Angry prayers and desperate prayers. We can pray from the depths of our being knowing we are known, valued, and loved to the highest degree.

Please pray with me: 

Lord, I bow my heart before You and give You honor and praise. Oh God, strengthen my prayer life. Help me to pray more. Nudge me to pray when I’m doing mindless tasks. Help me to truly know who I am in Christ, to understand that You always hear me, to know Your Word so I can pray it, to write down my own prayer needs and the needs of others, and to know that You really do know me. In the strong name of Jesus, Amen.