Messin’ Other People Up in our Messedupness

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

Here’s the deal: in our messedupness we are fully capable of permanently messing up countless others. They in turn mess up countless others. That’s why we must beg God for for mercy, we must humble ourselves and confess who we are to God and others if necessary, seeking forgivness and transformation. And we must also take steps to work out our salvation with fear and trembling so that others don’t encounter evil and destruction when they encounter us.

The snare comes when we are so self-absorbed in our pain that we don’t give a rip about the sort of effects our attitudes and behaviors have on others. Our pain dehumanizes us by desensitizing us to the pain of others. We are convinced that we are right and have a right to do what we’re doing.

So we open Pandora’s box–unleashing profound evil in the life of others. It starts with those closest to us and radiates out. Evil spreads like an aggressive cancer.

Yet let us not forget that life proliferates, too. We are to overcome evil with good.

Therefore it is of utmost importance that we understand that our sins–vices–bad habits of our temperament and blind spots can decidely and sinisterly affect the world in the same way that Adam and Eve’s did.

Let us beg God to cleanse us and help us be proliferators of good.

Because like germs, we often spread evil unaware.

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