Mensa Otabil - Don't Return Evil for Evil (10/10/2025)
First Peter chapter 3, verse 9: not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, blessing, knowing that you are called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. The Christian life is very different from our natural life. Our natural life is based on paying back people for what they have done to you, and in the Christian life, we learn that our attitudes determine how far we go and how we live our lives. The Scriptures affirm that God has given us the power of choice. Through our will, through submission to the Scriptures, and through the moderating factor or power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to determine our attitudes.
So, for example, when you are insulted or treated badly by someone else, the natural instinct will be to treat them as they have treated you. Now, if you do that, you’ve put yourself at their level. But the Bible says we can treat them differently so we get different results. They insulted you; they reviled you, but you want a blessing. So the Bible says you bless them so that you can receive a blessing back. We choose our responses, and as difficult as it is, God expects us to choose different responses from how we are treated.
If your boss bullies you or if the company doesn’t treat you well or someone mistreats you, you can choose how to respond. You can choose either to insult back, to bully back, or to be nasty back, or you can choose, «I want a blessing.» And because you want a blessing, you’re not going to act negatively. Instead, you will act in a way that predisposes you to receive a blessing. The passage says when you are reviled, you bless. Why? Because you will inherit a blessing.
If you want God to be good to you, then you must act in such a way that God’s goodness becomes your portion. Many times, you will encounter very mean and resentful people in our world. Our world is full of them; they come from every direction-in the family, at the workplace, in the neighborhood, and in old school associations. Wherever you go, people may not treat you with dignity and honor. But if you treat them the same way, it means you lack dignity and honor, and you do not want the blessing.
So if you believe you have dignity and honor, you must choose to treat them differently from how they treated you. If you want God to bless you, act in such a way that you will be blessed. Today, I just want to encourage you to take the poison out of your system. Don’t let people poison you with their bad attitudes; don’t be like them. What value is there in being as nasty as the nasty person when you believe you are not a nasty person?
If you think you are good or right, that God’s blessing is upon you, and that you want your life to be better, then choose different responses to wrong treatment. That’s what I want to encourage you with as you go through life: choose your actions, choose your reactions, choose your responses. Treat people well; if they don’t treat you well, be kind. If they are not kind, be good. If they are not good, speak well of them if they speak poorly of you. What you seek is not from them; it is from God-the blessing of the Lord, the favor of the Lord, and the goodness of the Lord.
Let us pray. Say with me: Heavenly Father, I want to live as Christ did. Give me the grace to overcome evil with good. In Jesus' name, amen and amen. I will catch you again tomorrow. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.