A force for good

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

 It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the evil and the suffering in the world. Every day we hear about another horrible crime or injustice being committed. The media provides a seemingly endless feed of violence, sorrow, disaster, and evil, and it seems that life has lost its sanctity in the minds of many. What can we do about a world that at times seems to be overcome with evil?
 This was the same dilemma that the Christians in Rome faced, and Paul’s counsel to them rings true today. “Overcome evil with good.” If a dish is dirty, being angry about the situation does nothing to fix it. Neither does trying to ignore it. The only solution is to expose that dirty dish to the power of a little soap and water.
 If a room is dark, you can curse the darkness or whine over how unpleasant it is—or you can flip the light switch or open the curtains and let some light in. It’s the same with society’s evils. We can get discouraged, angry, or depressed—” overcome by evil”—or we can be a force for good through our personal example and sharing the light of the gospel with others.
 Not every dirty dish will be cleaned, and not every darkened heart will be enlightened, but we can each do our part day by day, person by person, decision by decision. —Marie Story [1]

 I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy. —Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941)

[1] Activated Overcoming Evil with Good