Do Not Be Overcome

It’s interesting that the apostle Paul wrote that to the Christians in Rome, because there are some obvious similarities between the social climate of first-century Rome and that of much of the world of today.

Evil was rampant in Rome, and its pull was strong. The Roman Empire hadn’t become the undisputed ruler of the Western world through compassion, kindness, or humility. Wealth was in the hands of a few, and they used it to control the rest. The rich and powerful lived extravagantly while the masses struggled to survive. Perversions and debauchery were practiced by some and ignored by others.

Christianity was just one religion and Christ just one more deity. Considering the pantheon of gods that the Romans worshipped, it must have been difficult to convince anyone that Jesus was “the way, the truth, and the life.”

Starting to sound familiar?

It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the evil in the world. Every day we hear about another horrible crime being committed. Meanwhile, the popular media searches for new and more horrific ways to portray violence, perversion, and all manner of evil. Whether it’s a case of art imitating life or vice versa, life has lost its sanctity in the minds of many.

What can we do about a world so overcome with evil? This was the same dilemma that the Christians in Rome faced, and Paul’s counsel to them rings true today. “Overcome evil with good.”

If a dish is dirty, being angry about the situation does nothing to fix it. Neither does trying to ignore it. The only solution is to expose that dirty dish to the power of a little soap and water.

If a room is dark, you can curse the darkness or whine over how unpleasant it is—or you can flip the light switch or open the curtains and let some light in.

It’s the same with society’s evils. We can get discouraged, angry, or depressed—“overcome by evil”—or we can be a force for good, even if only through personal example. Not every dirty dish will be cleaned, and not every darkened heart will be enlightened, but we can each do our part day by day, person by person, decision by decision.

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Romans 12:17-20 - Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it[a] to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Romans 12:21 ESV - Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

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People Are Good

I’ve known Alex for four years. He is 24 years old, has cerebral palsy, and is one of our Women’s Club food delivery recipients. Each time I deliver food, we spend an hour or so talking. “If you could go anywhere in the world,” I asked him several times, “where would you go?” His answer was always the same: St. Petersburg, Russia.

Last year he graduated from university with honors. For his extraordinary achievement he received plane tickets for two to St. Petersburg—a gift from a family that had heard about him through the food delivery program.

Alex was beside himself with happiness—so much so that he couldn’t sleep at night. Neither could his mother, who worried about where the money for all of the other trip expenses would come from. Four days in St. Petersburg could cost as much as several months at home, and she didn’t have that kind of savings.

They were looking into shared-accommodation possibilities when the manager of the St. PetersburgMarriott Hotel heard about Alex and offered them a complimentary room for their entire stay, breakfast included, as well as transfers to and from the airport.

A director at my husband’s company organized and paid for a private tour of the city, as well as visits to the Hermitage Museum, one of the finest art museums in the world, and Peterhof, the summer palace of Peter the Great. Memories for a lifetime!

People are good. People want to do good. If a few individuals who didn’t even know each other could make such a difference to Alex, how much more can we do when we unite with the clear purpose of changing lives for the better?

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A man was walking near a beach when he saw a boy bend over, pick something up, and throw it into the ocean. Over and over the boy did this. The man went to see what was going on, and found that countless starfish had been washed onto the beach by the tide. Struck by the apparent futility of the task the boy had taken on, the man said, “You must be crazy! There are hundreds and hundreds of starfish here. You can’t possibly make a difference.” But the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back in the ocean. “I made a difference to that one,” he replied.

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Colossians 3:17 ESV – And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Galatians 6:9 ESV - And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Hebrews 10:24 ESV – And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

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