Romans 12 calls you to bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. It is a dangerous decision to take matters into your own hands by responding to evil with evil—in the moment, the fight seems so right. But when you respond with anything but love, the war will escalate, and the evil will continue. We’re called to break the cycle of retaliation, break the cycle of reaction, break the cycle of anger and irritation. While the normal response to injustice is to fight back and even the score, instead use love to confront the people you meet—impatient people, obnoxious people, people who make your life hard right now. Jesus wants you to give better than you get.
Homework
Identify your enemy.
“We often use the excuse of loving the whole world in order to get out of loving any one person in particular.” –Gary Black
Do something good for your enemy.
Pray for your enemy.
Stand between two enemies.
Verse for the Week: Romans 12:21
Prayer Requests:
Worship Songs
Joy to the World – Joy of the Lord
Maverick City Music, Naomi Raine and Todd Galberth
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
Charles Wesley, Music by Rowland H. Pritchard, arranged by Meredith Andrews and Jacob Scooter
Wait On You
Brandon Lake, Chandler Moore, Chris Brown, Dante Bowe, Steven Furtick, and Tiffany Hudson
