“Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: But he that hateth reproof is brutish. A good man obtaineth favour of the LORD: But a man of wicked devices will he condemn. A man shall not be established by wickedness: But the root of the righteous shall not be moved. A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: But she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. The thoughts of the righteous are right: But the counsels of the wicked are deceit. The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: But the mouth of the upright shall deliver them. The wicked are overthrown, and are not: But the house of the righteous shall stand.”
Proverbs 12:1-7 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/pro.12.1-7.KJV
Undeserved Mercies
When someone hurts you or, worse, hurts somebody that you love, revenge can seem appealing. After all…
They were mean.
They were selfish.
They talked behind your back.
They broke a vital promise.
They lied about you.
They criticized you.
They ignored you.
They did the unthinkable.
They walked away.
They deserve to be punished, right? To feel some of that same pain? They deserve a consequence that will not only help them learn, but will be just as severe as the inflicted wounds.
And yet—because God sees things differently, both His standards and tactics can be surprising. And that’s why the apostle Paul, writing to the believers in Thessaloniki, said:
“See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.”
1 Thessalonians 5:15 NLT
Paul’s words sound a lot like Jesus’ words—to love your neighbor as yourself; to do to others what you’d like them to do to you. (See: Matthew 22:38-40)
God’s ways ...