Cut Your Coat

“Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?”

- James 4:11-12

The world has a very strong draw, to make you lower your standards and live according to the worlds standards and not according to the standards of heaven. I remember when people used to ask me if I was a ‘bad boy’ because a lot of pastors kids often are, I’d always say I never was and I was always a good boy. When my relationship with God grew, i started to realise that that assessment of myself was based on the worlds standards of good and not on God’s.

I say this to say, we have somehow found ways to justify being judgemental or ‘an eye for an eye’. We know the bible says, vengeance is for the Lord, we know it says judgement is of the Lord, we know it says if somebody slaps you, show them the other cheek. But we’ve let the world lower our standards.

I am constantly in awe of David. David learnt to be patient, have self control and to humble himself. From a young age, it was prophesied over him, that he would become king and he was anointed there and then, yet he remained humble in all his endeavours, did as God directed him and treated Saul with honour.

Saul has a grown uncontrollably jealous of David and is intent on killing him and stil knowing this, given the opportunity to get his own vengeance against Saul, he doesn’t. Instead he cuts the corner of Saul’s robe.

“Then the men of David said to him, “This is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you.’ ” And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. Now it happened afterward that David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe.And he said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.”

- 1 Samuel 24:4-6

David understood the importance of not taking things into his own hands, or seeking vengeance leaning on God. Even with the fact he didn’t get vengeance his heart was wrecked with guilt for cutting Saul’s robe\, because such was David’s heart. It spoke to not also needing to prove a point, not needing so say ‘I could’ve hurt you, but i’m so good i didn’t.’ Doing the right thing is for the world to know you did it but to trust God see’s. Jesus on many occasions would heal someone and tell them to go and tell no one. It wasn’t about bragging rights, all belongs to the Lord.

What will you do when presented to the opportunity to harm those who have harmed you, show love or vengeance.

““You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectorsdo so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

- Matthew 5:43-48

Love even those who hate you, even bad people love those who love them, what sets you apart, love everyone and live that love.