Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:9 (NIV)
Do you polish your boots with military mirror-like precision? Do you notice other people’s shoes? I’ve been told on more than one occasion that shoes agleam reflect an admirable character and are a hallmark of attention to the smallest detail. The older generation still take the view that you can ‘tell a man by his shoes’. A scuffed shoe denoted a chap of chaotic behaviour, probably best avoided. A well-worn but highly polished brogue, on the other hand, suggested a man both professional and practical, able to take care of the things he loved. Our shoes speak volumes, especially if you have treated them to that one final triumphant buff with the chamois leather.
The following is a story which embedded in my memory many years ago. It’s about a soldier who made it his practice to end every day with a devotional time of Bible-reading and prayer. As his fellow soldiers gathered in the barracks and retired for the night, he’d kneel by his bunk. His actions did not go unnoticed and it was not long before some of them began to mock and ridicule him. But one night the abuse went beyond words. As he bowed in prayer, one soldier threw his boots and hit him heavily smack in the face. The others jeered, looking for a fight, but there was no counterblow or retaliation. The next morning, when the boot-thrower woke up he couldn’t believe what he saw. He was stunned. There at the foot of his bed were his boots – freshly polished and returned. Imagine shining the very boots that were thrown at you! That calls for a new level of grace.
It was Peter who told us:
Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. 1 Peter 3:9 (NIV)
Paul phrased it this way:
Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. 1 Thessalonians 5:15 (NIV)
Remember the example of Jesus who…
…while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously. 1 Peter 2:23 (NASB)
Jesus prayed from the cross:
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. ” Luke 23:34a (NIV)
The Roman soldiers had beaten and mocked him, and even as Jesus spoke these words they “divided up his clothes by casting lots”. Yet Jesus understood that these people with their unresolved issues still needed salvation. A similar scenario took place in Acts 7, when Stephen was martyred. Like his Saviour before him, Stephen prayed, “Lay not this sin to their charge.”
It takes character, compassion and courage to act like the soldier in our story. As you go about your day, be a blessing to others and shine shoes like a soldier.