1 Thessalonians 5:15

Verses

15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. (‭‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬‬:‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

Prayer:

Dear Lord please guide us to peace in all situations. Please remove the desire of revenge and bless us with forbearance and peace; for these tools Lord will help combat our own internal weaknesses. I pray that in those moments of weakness we can remember that God is a just God and judgment is a heavenly responsibility, not and Earthly one. Amen

Expansion:

“Revenge is a dish best served cold”, “While seeking revenge, dig two graves”, “An eye for and eye will only make the whole world blind”. Throughout history via fables, Bible verses or historical notables like Ghandi we’ve been warned that judgement has no home on Earth, yet as humans we innately, from birth, must judge everyone and everything around us whether verbally spoken or a millisecond thought that is here and gone. It takes incredible self-control in the moment, when angry, to find compassion or patience reserves. For me at least patience and compassion are two precious rare commodities that have to be mined and refined daily. Judgment however, is in plentiful supply, without even thinking, whenever triggered, judgement appears. It starts as micro expressions on my face, then noticeable expressions of judgement form and then, almost like a disease, it spreads to the rest of my body. Before I know it, and before a complete negative thought can form and before the ticking of the second hand on my watch, I’ve completely shifted my face and my body to show the judged just how I feel. 

A sign hat says "condemned".

As humans we have a tendency to be all knowing and to always be right, reality however, often smacks us around and reframes our brains when that happens. Therefore to counteract this natural tendency and to leave judgment up to God, where it belongs, we need to always remember to tend to our garden, for it’s the fruit of the spirit (love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) that provides the map and key for a judgement free life.

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Eric Bucher