Romans 12:17: Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
There is nothing that can hurt the cause of Christ more than a dishonest Christian. The non–Christian is not concerned about the doctrine you hold—whether you are a premillennialist or whether you believe in election or free will. However, he does want to know if you are truthful or not, and he does want to know if you pay your honest debts. Are you a person that a man can depend upon? Providing things honest in the sight of all men is a lot better than giving out tracts, my friend. Let me illustrate this. Some years ago in Memphis, Tennessee, a Christian handed a man a tract. “What is this?” asked the man. The Christian replied, “It is a tract and I want you to read it.” “I don’t read,” the man replied, “but I will tell you what I will do—I will watch your tracks!” Oh, how accurate that is! The world is watching the tracks that you make, not the tracts you give out. Don’t misunderstand me; giving out gospel tracts is important. But you had better have a life that will back them up when you give out tracts. 1
Application
- Remember: Pray for them, instead of repaying them with what they deserve.
- Are you known as an optimist or a pessimist? Are you more negative or more positive? Do hope for the best, especially when faced with unkind responses from fellow Christians?
Prayer
Lord, make me more like You and less like the world.
1. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (Romans 9-16) (electronic ed., Vol. 43). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.