Oftentimes when a person puts up a wall of coldness,
unfriendliness and sarcasm, what they really want is some
genuine love and concern. When a waitress is unkind to me at a
restaurant, I like leaving a generous tip to show forth God's
unconditional love. The Holy Bible teaches us not to be
vindictive, not to retaliate against our enemies who hurt us;
but rather, love them, do good to them, feed them, cloth them,
give them drink, and bless them (Romans 12:19-21). This is the
way of the Lord.
The heathen world seeks to hurt those who hurt them, an eye-for-an-eye; but God commands us to leave vengeance in His hands. This doesn't mean that criminals ought not be prosecuted; but rather, it means that we ought not take the law into our own hands, or hurt those who have wronged us where there are no applicable laws to hold them accountable (like deliberately wounding our feelings, or not repaying money we lent to them, or by spreading hurtful gossip about us, et cetera). Everyone knows the feeling of wanting to make somebody pay for a wrongful deed committed against us. We can sinfully hurt them if we so choose, in countless ways. Albeit, God wants us to love them. That doesn't mean we have to like them or be friendly toward them if they have wronged us, but it does mean we ought not seek to harm them.
It is human nature to protect our pride and feelings. Oftentimes a person who has been hurt deeply by others will become hard-hearted and cold. The Holy Bible teaches that because of a society of unpunished crime, people's hearts will grow cold. Matthew 24:12, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Crime is running rampant in the United States. Despite the U.S. governments meager attempts to stop the illegal drug-trafficking industry, the drug problem in the United States today is epidemic, worse than ever before. Drugs, legal and illegal, are a major problem everywhere! Legalized crime is flourishing nationwide, from murderous abortion to the perversion of homosexuality. Consequently, people don't trust their neighbours anymore. This is exactly what the Devil wants, a society where no one trusts anyone else, living in fear.
I have learned as a born-again Christian for over 35 years, that people who seem angry at the world usually have been hurt somehow, and their way of coping with the pain is to withdraw from others emotionally, become harsh, cold and unfriendly. They still have a heart, just like anyone else, but that heart has become calloused. Certainly, there are hardened sinners in this world, who have no love for anyone, not even them self. Albeit, most people who hurt others have been hurt themselves. As a child of God, I choose to look at people as broken rather than bad. I choose to return love for hate. I choose to reciprocate kindness for meanness. I choose to do right when others do wrong. I choose to be honest, even when others cheat me. I choose to prayerfully place painful feelings caused by others into God's hands for judgment, rather than to seek vengeance and have a vindictive spirit, holding a grudge. Most people hold needless grudges, which grieves God (Ephesians 4:30-32).
A
carnal believer doesn't care about The Golden Rule in
Matthew 7:12, which is to do unto others as we would have them
do unto us. Most believers are as heathen as the wicked world,
doing unto others as they did unto us, retaliating to teach them
a lesson. Such negative behavior is a sin. God says that
vengeance belongs to Him alone (Romans 12:19-21). If we expect
to win others to the Lord, then they are going to have to see
God in us. The ungodly will test our profession of faith,
continually tempting us with filth and sin. I certainly don't
like when heathens test my Christian faith, but it is a part of
this sin-cursed life.
The ungodly will invite us to sinful company parties. Ungodly women will seduce and tempt the Christian man who fears God, hoping to destroy his testimony. The ungodly will provoke a Christian to anger, spread malicious gossip, and try to tear down his or her name at every opportunity. It's a jungle out there in the world for the God-fearing Christian. Yet, if we hold fast to the profession of our Christian faith, always acknowledging the Lord in all our ways, then He has PROMISED to guide us (Proverbs 3:5-7; Hebrews 13:5-6). Blessed be the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ!
It will transform your life if you'll stop looking at people as bad, hopeless and troublesome; and instead, view them as needy sinners who are the object of God's unconditional and undeserving love. I speak to Christians. Christ died for you and me, paying our debt of sin. How can we not forgive others who have hurt us? The way to forgive others is to claim the promise of God in Romans 12:19 that He will avenge all evil. God promises to right every wrong, so that we don't have to. It is a matter of faith. The world is hateful, hating those who hate, seeking vengeance, and hurting others continually. In sharp contrast, the child of God (who is right with God), loves their enemies and prays for them. I'm not saying that it is easy, but it is Biblical.
I just wanted to share this precious truth with you. As a believer grows in the Lord, there comes a point where we gain understanding and learn to look beyond a person's superficial words and behavior, and to consider their soul. I love the Gospel song that says... “HE LOOKED BEYOND MY FAULTS, AND SAW MY NEEDS!” Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” 1st John 3:16, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” Amen. END
“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;
(for he is faithful that promised)” —Hebrews 10:23
