A Heap of Coal

A friend recently relayed to me a situation wherein she received an emaol from her Sister in Law. The email was, to use her word, "nasty." My friend told me that she responded with all the appropriate nicities, and more. She went on to comment that she is nice to all people, and perhaps even nicer to those that aren't nice in return, or to even start with.

The exchance struck me and I wondered, "what propels us to be 'nicer' to those that act maliciously, or are just plain rude, mean, nasty, etc?"

The Bible speaks of how we should love our enemies, how we should pray for them, and in doing so we are heaping coals on their head. So off on the tanget question, is it really being nice, because we are being nice with the intent that coal will be heaped on their head???!!!

Besides the issues of being nice to those that aren't, it propelled me to think on the characteristics and attributes that are evident in us. My friend isn't a Christian, so it wasn't for any applying the verse reasons that she is nicer to those that "etc." Regardless of a proclamation of belief in Jesus Christ we act in a way the often reflects the attributes of God, and why shouldn't we? We are made in God's image. It doesn't say that once you become a "Christian" you are made in God's image, we are all created in the image of God, so therefore the attributes of God are manifest in all of us no matter if a confession of faith has been uttered.

Mercy, Justice, Peace, Patient, Good, Kind, Faithful, Love, Joyful, Gentle - to name but a few, are qualities that people live out in the daily lives. What needs to take place is a connect the dots. People need to see and make the connection to how they live with the fact that God was, is, and will be the one God, and that he sent his Son to die for us all and that this very God lives in them in tangible ways - such as mercy, love, peace, patience.

So we love our enemies not because it will heap burning coals on their head, but because it is what is commanded. AND for those that do so without the belief in Jesus Christ, I pray that the dots are being connected more and more with each passage of time.