Daily Power #288

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 3:9)

Have you ever noticed that so much of how we connect with others relies on an attitude of give-and-take? If the waitress is friendly and provides great service, then we leave her a good tip. If we need a favor from a friend, then we better treat them well and expect to return the favor to them at some point. If a coworker needs help putting her report together, then she better be prepared to share the credit and help out the next time we need her.

On the other hand, the same mindset seems to apply to negative behavior. If our neighbor snubs us, then we’re tempted to ignore them back. If someone spreads gossip about us at church, then we won’t likely be friendly to them the next time our paths cross. It seems natural to practice the art of retaliation and assume that’s just how we survive being in relationship with so many different people.

Jesus didn’t operate this way because it’s not his Father’s way. God wants his children treating everyone with kindness, generosity, mercy, and love no matter how they might treat us. Yes, turning the other cheek or showing grace to someone who doesn’t deserve it doesn’t make sense—but that’s the whole point! Grace disrupts people’s expectations. It breaks them out of their cycle of action-and-reaction and forces them to consider God at work.

Today shock someone with the love of Christ by responding with blessing when they show the opposite.

Power Lift

I’ve received your grace in abundance, Lord, and want to reflect your love and mercy to all I encounter today—whether I think they deserve it or not.