”Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to God’s wrath, for it is written: ’Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Romans 12:19

In the past several weeks, many folks have been segregated from society and advised to stay in their individual residences, for obvious reasons. Others have even been quarantined within the home, understandably so for their own personal health and protection for others. The result is that you ladies have little chance to window shop or wander around stores, while others miss a time of coffee and conversation with their friends. Cabin fever sets in, now the atmosphere has the potential to escalate into some pretty tense moments. Some of our biggest storms in life can happen right under our noses, in our very own household or with close friendships. Point: You might not be able to control other people’s actions and how they respond BUT we can have control over our own response!

In situations like we are experiencing today, we are not used to spending time with each other for several hours at a time. There are few reasons to go anywhere now because no major retailers are open for business. There are many people that had experienced disappointing difficulties in life, be it where a parent never really expressed acceptance or love for a child, or where heated family discussions ended up in some form of negative physical response. It could even be a mother who felt she could not continue to raise a child alone, it was too overwhelming, so she released the child to an adoption agency. Maybe there is a prodigal child under your roof that challenges your every decision, or a spouse that calls an end to your marriage. The list goes on. What I’m attempting to relate is that we have lost the art of building a relational foundation in the home because we have put so many other priorities on the table, they all need our attention and time. How on earth can God help me in times like this? Given our present struggles with this virus, whatever was the under—tow in the home before (or the unsettled), I believe this virus is beginning to cause many unresolved issues of the heart to surface. I would call it a relational virus, a storm brewing on the horizon that if left unchecked, will erode the very strength that holds society together -> that being a strong family that honours God and each other in the home — that is truly what holds a nation together.

Folks, a relational storm is a different kind of storm, but God has equipped us with the Power of His love and forgiveness to see restoration take place in very difficult circumstances. You have heard of stories where a drunken driver lost control of their car and killed an innocent child walking down the street, all brought about by gross negligence. Then, taking it one step further, you hear a testimony of that parent who is grieving the loss of their child, go to that prison, visit the offender and extend forgiveness, extending mercy and compassion, giving out what they received from God without condition. If I forgive a wrongdoer, I’m not saying their action is excused, nor am I saying we are obligated to reconcile with a person who may bring harm to our family.

Paul explains this well in Romans 12:19, we can become obsessed with taking revenge, but the Lord is saying — Leave it to Me! Then vs 20 is indicating that we should heap coals on them, give them a drink, demonstrate kindness to them. You know why? - You will cause their heart to shift, hearts get changed and shame will surface in them for what they had done. Proverbs 25:21-22 surprise your so-called enemy, be generous to them, buy them lunch, it will awaken their conscience; HERE IT IS: ”God will reward you with favour, so be mindful of the unruly member of your body — the Tongue, never say anything (like gossip) that will cause a relational storm! Don’t be conquered by evil, scripture says we are more than conquerors through our union with Christ.

In closing, Ephesians 4:32 sums it up well, ”Instead of bitter words and insults, be kind, affectionate toward one another. God has forgiven us, He has been gracious to us! Can we do any less than forgive one another from the depths of Christ’s love that resides in us, a born-again Spirit filled believer. Amen