Being an Overcomer

 DEVOTION

THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS

BEING AN OVERCOMER

Rom 12:17-21

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."   21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

NIV

This instruction is simply contrary to human nature and therefore it would seem that if we are going to be successful in complying with this we need to be living and walking in the Spirit. We would think being Christians we would never repay evil with evil. However, the interesting things about that would be the reason for doing that. When evil is perpetrated against us and our feelings are hurt or injured, we would think it would be because we are thinking too highly of ourselves than we should. How dare that person hurt our feelings. What were they thinking? Don’t they know that is wrong? Do we have to tell them how much they hurt us? Or maybe we will just ignore them from now on, and they can never do that to us again. Then we will be getting even with them. Maybe we might just tell others how they acted toward us, or what they have said that hurt our feelings. Oh yes, we will repay them, although we don’t actually say that, even to ourselves. But then are we doing what is right in the eyes of everyone? When it comes to doing right in the eyes of everyone, that does not mean creating a façade so we look good in the eyes of everyone, but really doing good. However, within the context of these instructions, this does not mean doing “Good deeds”  to be seen in the eyes of everyone. This means doing good, and behaving in a manner that is good, which would imply not hurting anyone, such as, once again, not thinking more highly of ourselves than we should. When we do, then we project, even if we think we are not, a sense of superiority that causes others to think poorly of us, unless they are living and walking in the Spirit, then their feelings would not be injured by our attitude, but if they are flawed in the slightest way, as we all are, then we are causing them harm, and thus not doing good in their eyes. The other way we could not be doing good would be through the method of gossip. Once we tell stories about another to someone, we no longer are doing good in their eyes, even if their ears are being tickled. This is why we are admonished to be careful, to watch ourselves closely, keeping guard on ourselves so that we act in a manner that is good in the eyes of everyone. This also would then cause peace between us all. It is interesting that Paul does include disclaimers, “If it is possible” and “as far as it depends on us” we are to live in peace with everyone. Maybe it is not possible. Maybe we do not even try, so it would not depend on us, as we want others to live in peace with us. Let it depend on them, let them live in peace with us. But it must depend on us, we are the ones who are to put forth as much effort as is possible to live in peace, living in harmony with everyone. This would be the key to doing what is right in their eyes, and not allowing any evil to interrupt our efforts to live in peace. Therefore, by making every effort, we would never take any form of revenge whatsoever. If we make every effort to live in peace, we would never be overcome by evil, but we would surely overcome evil with good. Living in peace with everyone, thus overcoming evil, would mean we would be overcomers.