Resist The Urge to Fight for Yourself

In my first year in the university, all year one students had to take the same courses and the lecture theatres/halls were always jam packed.

At that time, I lived in a hostel very close to the school. My roommates and I took to the advice given us by our seniors. They told us to wake up very early, go to the lecture hall and keep seats for ourselves by placing books on the writing slabs. That was exactly what we did. We would wake up as early as 4.30 am and rush down to school to keep seats and return to the hostel to prepare for the 8 or 9 a.m class. Despite the fact that we have kept spaces for ourselves, we still had to make sure we were in the hall before 7 a.m.

On a particular morning, I had kept a space for myself, returned to the hostel to get dressed for the day only to get back to the hall and the seat I had kept for myself was already occupied. I approached the guy who now sat on the seat that was supposed to be mine but he denied seeing any book on the seat. I decided to let him be. I later found my book several rows away from that place.

I squeezed myself into my room mate's seat right beside the guy. Something then happened which I can never forget. This guy slept from the first minute of the class till the class ended.

At the end of the class, this guy actually came to apologise and confessed that he had  removed my book. Then I asked him why he decided to confess to me. And his response left me in shock at the time and made a permanent mark on my heart. He told me he believed that he slept through the class because he had cheated me. He said it must be God's way of dealing with him for acting wrongly. He then asked if I had some super powers to which I replied that Jesus is the only power I know. Weird right?

Well, he joined my church sometimes later and we got along well.

The lesson the Lord taught me that day is to allow Him fight for me. I have been asked many times why I refuse to avenge myself and I tell them no one can do it better than God. That incidence, as simple as it seems keeps ringing in my heart all the time.

I know that many Christians in our day are no - nonsense people. They would not take rubbish from anyone. They are quick to speak in defence of themselves or raise their fists in fight against their enemies.

God tells me to remind you that vengeance belongs to Him and not you. Stop investing your energy in doing another person's job.

A Christian must take nonsense for peace' sake else why did Jesus say we should turn the other cheek to the one who strikes us on one?

I want you to see Apostle Paul's admonition to the Christians in Corinth:

Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated? (1 Corinthians 6:7 NLT)

I think you should see this too:

Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. (Romans 12:14, 17-19 NLT)

When Jesus' enemies came to capture Him and one of His disciples cut off the ear of one of these enemies, what did Jesus do? He placed the ear back in its place and healed the man.

How much "nonsense" have you even taken that you always just want to fight against it?

The Prince of peace is a Christian's master. It is the devil that is against peace. God expects his children to be peace loving peace makers.

Let God fight for you.

May the Lord increase your understanding and mine!

~ OMOSEBI Mary Omolola
© 2016