Shoveling Burning Coal

by Bud Lambert Blacksmiths have always amazed me with their ability to bend and shape hard, rigid, seemingly useless pieces of metal into beautiful, useful objects. Although they obviously have a special artistic talent, the key to their work is a hot fire. It is under the intense heat of the blacksmith's fire that even the hardest metal becomes pliable and yielding to change and reshaping. Christians come in contact with people in the world who are like raw metal. Their behavior is ungodly, injurious, and just plain ugly. We can try to teach them the gospel, the only thing powerful enough to change them, but their hearts and minds are often hard, unyielding, and unwilling to listen and accept it. Sometimes it is tempting for us to get down on their level, become vengeful, and repay their evil. And sometimes it is tempting just to write them off as useless and hopeless and go ahead and play God and judge them and condemn them to hell. But what God really wants Christians to do is shovel coals of fire on their hearts and minds: "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" ( Romans 12:17-21). As Paul makes clear, the Christian's fire is "GOOD!" By shoveling good on ungodly people, their hearts and minds are likely to become more and more pliable, yielding, and, in time, receptive to the gospel. Let's leave the vengeance and judging to our Father and focus our attention on the good we can co for others. Exercise: Make a list of the ungodly people you have difficulty relating to. Pray that God will give you the wisdom to know what is truly something good you can do in relating to each of them.

August 17, 1997



Shoveling Burning Coal by Bud Lambert Blacksmiths have always amazed me with their ability to bend and shape hard, rigid, seemingly useless pieces of metal into beautiful, useful objects. Although they obviously have a special artistic talent, the key to their work is a hot fire. It is under the intense heat of the blacksmith's fire that even the hardest metal becomes pliable and yielding to change and reshaping. Christians come in contact with people in the world who are like raw metal. Their behavior is ungodly, injurious, and just plain ugly. We can try to teach them the gospel, the only thing powerful enough to change them, but their hearts and minds are often hard, unyielding, and unwilling to listen and accept it. Sometimes it is tempting for us to get down on their level, become vengeful, and repay their evil. And sometimes it is tempting just to write them off as useless and hopeless and go ahead and play God and judge them and condemn them to hell. But what God really wants Christians to do is shovel coals of fire on their hearts and minds: "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" ( Romans 12:17-21). As Paul makes clear, the Christian's fire is "GOOD!" By shoveling good on ungodly people, their hearts and minds are likely to become more and more pliable, yielding, and, in time, receptive to the gospel. Let's leave the vengeance and judging to our Father and focus our attention on the good we can co for others. Exercise: Make a list of the ungodly people you have difficulty relating to. Pray that God will give you the wisdom to know what is truly something good you can do in relating to each of them. August 17, 1997	Mt. Juliet Church of Christ 1940 N. Mt. Juliet Road P.O.Box 248 Mt.Juliet, TN 37122-0248 (615)758-2274 Fax:615-754-2351 Email Worship Services: Sunday Early Worship: 8AM Sunday Bible Study: 9:15AM Sunday Late Worship: 10:15AM Night Worship: 6PM Wednesday Bible Study: 7PM