Out of the Strong Came Something Sweet

One day, I was working in a different area of the building than usual. As I worked, I heard raised voices in a nearby office. It came as a shock to hear that I was the subject of the noisy conversation. It was a shock because I view myself as a quiet worker who is normally uninvolved in office politics. Yet, here was someone vigorously attacking my competence and character. What are the chances that I would happen to be in a strange area just when someone starts complaining to his boss about me? The chances are obviously low. But, God is alive and active. This was no accident. God was revealing this problem so that I could respond. In our home education curriculum, we had recently learned about Matthew 5:44 and it immediately came to mind. This went against my natural inclination to find a way to get even.

“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”

Since I had very little interaction with the fellow who was attacking me, I wasn’t sure how to bless him. So, I concentrated on the “pray for them which despitefully use you.” I prayed that God would bless him in his life and would help him find the path to genuine truth and to salvation. After a few weeks, another strange thing happened. The two of us were temporarily assigned to work closely on a project as a team of two. Over the years we worked there, that was the only time that we worked together on the same team. We ended up on friendly terms.

God wants us to more than conquer our enemies. He wants us to end up on the same team as friends helping each toward the same goal. This is only possible through His power working in our relationships. The first step is to have the mind of Christ to “love your enemies.” Christ definitely did good to us. We killed the Lion of Judah but He became the source of the sweetest of blessings.

"And out of the strong came something sweet." (Judges 14:14)

Project:

* Who are you having trouble relating to?
* How can you do them good and bless them?
* What will you do to today to bring God’s grace into that relationship