Bless them, Lord!

Don’t do wrong to anyone to pay them back for doing wrong to you. Or don’t insult anyone to pay them back for insulting you. But ask God to bless them. (I Peter 3:9)

Okay, gonna ask a revealing question today: "When someone does you 'wrong', what is your first response?" If you are anything like me, you might think it wasn't exactly 'fair' for them to treat you that way, and even think you'd like to 'get even' a bit. It is kind of like you want them to know exactly how they hurt you, but you know they most likely won't feel the same hurt as you do. Truth be told, we can all deal with the 'getting even' kind of response from time to time, but is it God's desire for us to respond that way? Absolutely not! Does he understand it hurts us? Yes, but he has prepared much more for us in 'blessing our enemy' than we will ever get out of 'hurting them'!

Asking God to bless someone who has hurt us deeply is probably one of the most challenging things we could be asked to do. It requires us to put down our pride, sense of 'being wounded', and let God take control of the outcome. That one is way easier said than done! Wounded people want to hurt people. If we keep that in mind, maybe we can see why God tells us to not 'pay back' wrongs. Those 'wrongs' might have actually come from someone who is pretty deep into their own 'hurts' and 'hang-ups' themselves, not able to see beyond them, but 'wounding others' as a result of all they are buried under emotionally, spiritually, and maybe even physically. So, God asks us to genuinely ask God to bless them. 

Perhaps his 'blessing' will come in the form of repentance - helping them see their own misguided actions and seeking his forgiveness. Maybe it will lead to grace that leads to them being set free from what has buried them for so long in such a place of misery. Hurting people only heal when the Great Physician is given access to their lives. When he 'blesses' those who have hurt us, it may look a lot like he has given them a great gift. Just remember this - we each needed that same gift! Grace received should always move us to give grace when it is least likely 'deserved'. Just sayin!