Pay Them Back, Pt 2 - No. 96
1 Peter 3:8-9 GNB, “Do not pay back evil with evil or cursing with cursing: instead, pay back with a blessing, because a blessing is what God promised to give you when He called you.”
Today we continue to find out God’s kingdom principles for coping with hurts and unkind words.
3. BLESS!
You certainly don’t feel like blessing someone when they have hurt you, do you? It’s the opposite of how you feel. Your fleshly nature wants to pay them back by hurting them like they have hurt you. God does want us to pay them back, but He wants us to “pay them back with a blessing” as many translations say. *
God wants us to retaliate too, but to “retaliate with a blessing” as the New English Bible translates it. We must get into the habit of hitting back with a “blessing reaction.” Blessing is a kingdom principle that has power to set you free. I have proved it many times over the years. It always works.
Here are some more Scriptures:
“BLESS them that curse you.” (Matthew 5:44)
“BLESS them which persecute you, bless, and curse not.” (Romans 12:14)
“BLESS – that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.” (1 Peter 3:8-9, The Message)
“Being slandered, we BLESS.” (1 Corinthians 4:12)
When someone speaks against you or hurts you, get down on your knees and start blessing them. You won’t feel like it, but forget your feelings. Do it by faith. Keep blessing them. Don’t get up off your knees until you know that when you meet them you can look them in the eye and bless them. In 1 Peter 3:8 the word “blessing” is not a noun, but a participle and should read, “be constantly blessing.” Often you have to bless a person who has spoken against you many times before you are truly free in your spirit. You think you have got the victory and then suddenly all the hurt comes back again. What do you do? Keep on blessing. Don’t give up blessing them until you are totally free of all hurt.
This is the power of blessing –- you free the person who has hurt you, but you also free your own heart of bitterness and hurt. You get blessed by blessing! God’s principles work!
The Greek word for ‘bless’ is ‘eulogeo’ which means ‘to speak well of, to invoke a benediction upon, to cause to prosper.’
4. DO GOOD!
“Do good to them that hate you.” (Matthew 5:44)
Can you think of something good that you could do for the one who has hurt you? God’s ways are surely opposite to the way we feel, but if we will only put them into operation, we will see miracles happen.
5. PRAY!
“Pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)
How much time in prayer do you spend for those who speak against you?
We’ll share the last principles next week.
Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
PRAYER:
“Oh God, you are the Blesser of all mankind. You bless me even when I don’t deserve it. Please help me to bless those who are unkind to me and speak hurtfully to me. Help me to walk in the power of this kingdom principle. Amen.”
AFFIRMATION:
Blessing is my way of life,
It’s the way I put down strife!
* (Good News Bible, Jerusalem Bible, New Living Translation, J.B. Phillip’s translation)