Lent Day 28: Kind deeds from the heart


Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful
to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you,
live at peace with everyone.

Do not take revenge, my dear friends,
but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 
"It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.

On the contrary: Ii your enemy is hungry, feed him;
 if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.

Do not be overcome by evil, 
but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:17-21   NIV

Though she's been under the weather,
my mom baked a wonderful birthday cake
for two family celebrants. She loves to do good.
Turns out, it's more likely that "heaping burning coals on an enemy's head" (in the scripture, above) is less about frying his scalp than about sending him home with some of the fire from your hearth. It was an act of kindness - and sometimes of ensuring his survival - to share the coals from your own fire with a neighbor.

How many times:
  • Are we tempted to undermine the work of someone who has hurt us?
  • To spread nasty rumors about someone who talked behind our backs?
  • Or to block the progress of someone who didn't promote us when we thought we deserved a boost?
Instead, scripture encourages us to be good-hearted and well-intentioned, no matter how other people treat us. Accomplishing such a loving response is an act of God. That is, it is God acting according to his pure nature ... through us.

That's a sure way to "overcome evil with good!"

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