Title: Are You Living with a Stone in Your Heart?
Text:
Romans 12:17-21 (HCSB)
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone's eyes.
18 If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.
19 Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord.
20 But If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.
21 Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.
Observation:
This passage shines a bright light on the truth about the devastating effect of resentment of another person has on us; it's a stone in the heart.
You do yourself a favor when you let go of personal resentment; it's a load that will weaken you, and has the potential to break you.
This is the bottom line:
Romans 12:19 (NLT)
19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back," says the LORD.
God has placed a huge STOP sign when it comes to you and me taking revenge; it's above our "pay grade". Dispensing justice and judgment is reserved for God alone; the righteous judge.
I heard the story recently of a woman who gave this testimony, "I have lived with a stone in my heart for years since my mother said something I did for her wellbeing caused her to hate me". That is the impact of holding resentment in our heart. Remove that stone from your heart, and replace it with grace.
This is the answer:
Romans 12:21 (HCSB)
21 Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so grateful that You will righteously take revenge of evil. Father, help me, by Your power, to be a dispenser of grace, and not revenge. Lord, I stand in need of greater grace. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
James 4:6 (HCSB)
6 But He gives greater grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half-done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.
Source: http://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn.php/nt/723#ixzz2jOAsA9Ap
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Proverbs 30:5 (ESV)
5 Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Psalm 119:11 (ESV)
11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
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