Don’t JUDGE or hold a GRUDGE

Don’t JUDGE or hold a GRUDGE

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21 NIV

Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. Romans 12:21 NLT

Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.  The Message (MSG)

What or who pushes your button?  What thing happens that causes your blood to start to boil? Politics, bad driver, incompetence, gossip, hypocrisy, lies, abuse, or being cheated?  When something happens that causes you to want to take revenge, you are being overcome with evil.  When you feel like you have to justify your curt attitude, you are being overcome by evil.  When you act as if you are more important than the attendant that is taking your order, you are being overcome by evil.

It’s interesting that evil is personified in this passage.  The translators use the words overcome, conquer, and  get the best of, to show that evil is not neutral.  It has a purpose.  It desires to intimidate and dominate you.  Because it is not neutral, it will pursue you to make you its slave.  Do some people just annoy you as soon as you think about them?  Maybe your face gets flustered and you can feel your body tense up as you are about to encounter them in a conversation.  These are signals that evil is crouching at your door to have dominion over your

Do not hold a GRUDGE or JUDGE!  These are the two quickest ways for evil to make a beach head in your spiritual walk.  They can start so small with just a thought like “she did that to me on purpose, how could she”.  This thought will change the way that you speak and act toward her from that point on.  You have taken up and offense and evil is growing.  FORGIVE immediately.  Let the person go free and do not hold the offense against them.  Then think of a way to speak a blessing about them.

Judging is even more deceptive in its work.  Only God is judge!  He does not give us that privilege.  So, be careful when you say “ I would never do that! Or He is so cold, mean, arrogant…you feel in the blank”.  When we judge we are cursing another person.  Judgment happens when you place value to a fact.  It’s a red car is not a judgment.  I don’t like people with red cars is a judgment.  Again, when you hear in your statements or think in your head that you have made a judgment, REPENT.  Ask God to forgive you and help you to speak blessing and not a curse.

Waking up every day asking the Lord for creativity to overcome evil with good can be very fulfilling.  You have the potential to influence everyone you meet with blessing.  Listen to the Holy Spirit. He will lead you.  Notes, cards, phone calls, and especially chocolates J are great ways to bless others.  Being unoffendable can help evil to lose its grip.  Being kind is like adding Teflon against the stickiness of sin.

Father, forgive us when we judge and hold a grudge.  Help us to see that blessing and being kind have great advantages for our personal and spiritual walk.  Help us to keep our sin accounts short.  Help us to bless often.