Reward Evil With Good

"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21)

When someone has done us a wrong, too often do we feel that we must do a wrong back to get even. That is not true; just because someone has done something mean to us doesn’t give us the right-of-way to be mean to them. In the Bible, it mentions several times that we should reward evil with good. That means when something evil or mean is done to us, we should be good and kind back to them.

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." (Matthew 5:43-44) Jesus is talking here, telling people to love their enemies. If someone has cursed, hated, despitefully used, or persecuted you, you are not supposed to take it out on them. Instead, you should love them, bless them, do good unto them, and even pray for them. "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?" (Matthew 5: 45-46) If we only love people who love us, we are not different from anyone else in the world. As a Christian, we should be different and distinct from the world. Loving our enemies is a way to become more Christlike. If you want to read a similar passage to the one I have here, you can check out Luke 5:27-32 in your Bible.

If someone has truly done something bad, God will take care of it. "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." (Romans 12:19) God will take care of the “paying back” part for us as long as we follow his word and repay the evil done to us with good. God taking care of our enemies is also mentioned in Deuteronomy: "To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste." (Deuteronomy 32:35) It may not happen as quickly as you want, but it will happen in due time.

Why should we go to the trouble of returning good to evil? Reason one, because God said so, but he will also bless and reward us for it. "If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee." (Proverbs 25:21-22) There are consequences for repaying evil with evil. "Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house." (Proverbs 17:13) as well as blessing for not repaying evil with evil. "Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing." (1 Peter 3:9)

The golden rule is something we should all practice. "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12) If we don’t want someone to be rude to us, we should not be to them, whoever it may be. So if someone does something mean to us, we should not do the same action or worse back to them, instead reward good with evil and be nice to them!

"See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men." (1 Thessalonians 5:15)

All verses used are from the KJV