I know many people that have been divorced as I’m sure you have. Many of them were young, many felt it was the lessor of two evils, and for some tragically, the choice was made for them. Â Certain things you cannot go back and fix and I feel this is one of them. I think that is why God hates it so much.
One of the ways to bring healing to these very difficult circumstances is overcoming evil with good.
Romans 12:21
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
This is very difficult. This takes enormous Faith. This is one of the big reasons why I fought our divorce so much I knew I would have to be kind to Darin, kind to his family, and possibly kind to anyone he married. I would have to show kindness when he came and picked her up on Christmas and left me by myself. I would have to show kindness when I heard Macy calling someone else Mom. Â I did not want to cross that unbearably painful bridge that never ends.
I’m grateful God says you overcome evil with good. He doesn’t say you overcome evil with love. I think God in his loving nature knows that as humans we can do good, by His grace, but we can’t do love. God is the only human that ever overcame evil with love.
In those very dark years I practiced this with Darin I never did it because I needed to do it for Macy’s sake. That is not a good enough reason. It is not a commandment from Macy. She cannot give me grace to be able to do this. The only reason I was able to overcome evil with good is because I took God at his Word. I wanted to obey Him. Like I have said in previous post. I knew if I did exactly what the Bible said to do I would be safe. Would I have been taken advantage of? Possibly. Would I have been questioned? Possibly. But, I would be safe. God would never require you to do something that He wouldn’t give you grace for. It’s just not in His nature to do this.Â
I used to call my friend Christa and tell her how I was building my mansion up in heaven. Before I got married I thought little of heaven and the mansion Jesus was preparing for me. I was not interested in the eternal realm besides wanting to make sure my sins were forgiven so I would make it there. That day in Seattle when Darin asked me the question regarding our marriage I started thinking about my mansion. I would call Christa and tell her I just built the third floor in one day because of something I did or something I didn’t do.
2 Corinthians 4:1-18
Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit offaith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself.
All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
I love this passage of Scripture! I pray God’s amazing powerful grace, His ‘morphine’ will be with you as you start overcoming evil with good. I look forward to hearing the stories and testimonies of how God worked in your difficult circumstances.