When Ugliness Takes a Fall
When they hurled their insults at him,
he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he
entrusted himself to him who judges justly. – 1 Peter 2:23
His mugshot was grainy. Dull. His expression was one
of shock and disbelief. He’d skirted the law many times, hurting others and
lying. He’d spewed ugliness, assuming he would never get caught. Until one day,
he was.
There was no satisfaction in it. Not for me, anyway.
Only a deep sadness that he still hadn’t changed. That’s the way of evil. It
gets worse until one day goodness stops it cold.
It would be easy to gloat or cheer or let my heart be
filled with satisfaction. I don’t know if the arrest has caused him to rethink
his behavior or if he’s still blaming everyone else for his choices. Only God
knows the truth of a person’s heart.
My hope is that his present reality causes him to
reevaluate his choices, to turn toward Jesus, to invite Him into his heart. God
loves this man just as much as he loves you and I. We forget that sometimes
when our only focus is exacting revenge on someone who has harmed us.
It isn’t always easy to pray for our enemies but that
is His calling on our lives. We are to do good to those who harm us. He tells
us to love everyone, even those who have hurt us deeply. It isn’t an easy road
but, then, His way rarely takes the easy path.
Sometimes it’s through grace and mercy, the same grace
and mercy God shows to us, that others can clearly see Jesus. Don’t rejoice in
the tribulations of others. Instead, pray that hardship will finally draw them
home.
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