Hot Heads and Cool Tempers

In Proverbs 25:21-22 we are told "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 rewared thee."

OK, so the point is not necessarily to heap the coals, but we are not to answer wrath with wrath. We all know of someone who just irks us, and we can't figure out how to get back at them. I am pretty sure as well we have all had the experience of having someone be so nice to us that it makes steam come out our ears. I was always told as a child when people picked on my at school, "kill 'em with kindness." Well, I read this passage and its parallel in Romans and have that image.

Also, in finishing up Acts chapter 7, which I read yesterday and re-read today, we are told that Stephen's last request before being taken to heaven was for the sins of those who were taking his life not to be held against them. Many of those men were probably more furious at this request than anything else he had said up until that point. How could someone so hated think himself higher than they were enough to ask God to forgive them? I am sure there was more than a little steam coming out of those ears.

Stephen kept a cool head though being killed, and in so doing, he heaped coals of fire on their heads. Today let's examine how we interact with those around us. Again, the goal should not be to make them mad, but to keep our own heads cool, and to receive the blessing of God on our lives. Let our actions tell the world of the wonderful King who has made us secure enough not to have to retaliate.