“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
Romans 12:20
I can't say how many times that I have heard this verse quoted as a way to get revenge. As though we understand that revenge is best left to God, but since we have a right to want it, to demand it, we can bypass the spirit of love our enemies and make those who treat us wrong feel bad by acting loving towards them. See, I'm better than you, we say by way of manipulation, you deserve to be treated badly but I'm going to be good to you.
That attitude totally misses the point. We are not called to act in a loving manner to our enemies and those who hurt us. We are called to love in spirit and in truth. Those who are our enemies have a cold and frozen heart toward us, and if they hate us because we follow God, then that cold heart extends to our Heavenly Father as well. The idea of heaping coals of fire on them is not to burn them and get even, but rather to heat the ice that binds them and thaw them to love. The heat of the Father's love, flowing through us, warms our enemy as the sun warms the frozen ground of winter so that the growth of spring is possible.
Abba, help me to love those who are cold toward me in such a way as to thaw their heart so that they can find You and receive from You. Let me not worry about my right to be angry or getting even, but strive to love them towards You. Amen.
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