Proverb for the Day

"Do not say, "I will do to him just as he has done to me;
I will render to the man according to his work."
--Proverbs 24:29

This proverb made me think about a few other verses in the Bible that tell us how to treat others. The first one is another proverb about being kind to your enemy for by doing so you will heap coals upon his head (Proverbs 25:23-24--probably more on this tomorrow!) and also in Matthew 7:12 when Christ speaks of the "Golden Rule"--do unto others as you would have them done unto you.

I know as a child I often thought, if she is treating me like that, then she must want to be treated like that so I will do just as she has done to me. But that is completely wrong thinking! It doesn't matter how others treat me, I need to treat them as I hope they will treat me. It isn't my job to "get back" at someone. God says Deuteronomy 32:35, "Vengeance is mine". It is God's job to "pay back" IF a pay back is needed.

My prayer is that we all try to live by treating others how we want to be treated regardless of how they treat us.