“Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.” Romans 12:20 KJV
Who doesn’t love a good campfire! The fun, family, friends, songs, stories, and s’mores – what’s not to love! Did I mention s’mores? So, let’s talk about the fire; the most important part that makes it all possible. Think about the science of fire for a minute. First of all, the fire must be started; this is sometimes the hardest part. Once started, the fire burns. As it continues to burn, it develops coals. Coals are defined as “glowing, charred, or burned pieces of wood or other combustible substance”. If you have ever been to a campfire or seen a fire in a fire pit or fireplace, then you have witnessed the wonder of coals. The coals, these seemingly insignificant charred remains, are essentially
In a society of convenience and technology, we take for granted how vital fire was for survival long ago; this is still the case in parts of the world today. However, caution is advised! Fire Burns! If care is not taken when dealing with fire, it can cause serious damage to yourself or property. Fire can be devastatingly destructive. However, this damage does also carry with it some benefits. Take for instance forest fires. Naturally occurring forest fires are a part of nature. These fires can quickly destroy acres of land. But, what happens after the initial devastation is what we want to focus on. As the fire burns, it also destroys any disease or pests that are currently damaging the forest. These fires provide the soil with new nutrients. Where there used to be very thick brush and trees, now there is sunlight. These new nutrients and sunlight pave the way for new growth. This offers the forest the opportunity for renewal and a new start. Fire – vital to survival, can be devastating, offers opportunity for renewal and new life – Hmmm. Keeping this in mind let’s read the verse again.
“Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.” Romans 12:20 KJV
When there is a heated situation between you and your enemy, without a doubt, there is a fire raging which is producing coals. How will you use those coals? When first reading this verse, we tend to want to quickly skip over give your enemy food and drink and go straight to heap coals of fire on their head. I hear it now, “Yes, revenge; someone is finally speaking my language!” (You know revenge has crossed your mind.) Don’t get too excited yet! This verse does NOT give permission to set your enemy on fire! (Now, I hear all your sad sighs.) This is not the route to take; even if we are talking about your arch enemy. I can hear your next response, “But she deserves it; you don’t know what she did to me!” No, no I don’t – but God does; and He knows how to handle it perfectly. In this verse God tells us to give our enemies food when they are hungry and a drink when they are thirsty. Regardless of what they have done, God is calling us to bless them. Let’s look at another verse to double check.
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:44-45 KJV
Oh Man! Again with blessing our enemies! Well, why would Romans 12:20 talk about heaping coals of fire on our enemies head then? Look closely at the verses; we can find God’s true meaning. It is clear from these verses that God calls us to bless our enemies. If we are obedient, and do this as instructed, God will use our blessings to heap coals of fire on our enemies’. Our job is to bless; it’s God’s job to start the fire. He uses our blessings to set our enemies’ hearts on fire. This is His refining fire for them, so that He may brew something special in their lives. Don’t think for a second that He is not also using His refining fire on us too. Are you kidding – blessing your enemies! That is very easy to say and very hard to do. Especially if you are doing it with a happy heart. OH, I just said it – with a Happy Heart! If we serve our enemies their food and drink with hatefulness, anger, and disrespect – we just doused God’s refining fire with tons of water. Blessing our enemies with a happy heart has us right in the middle of God’s refining forest fire on our own brewing ground. So, how do we get to the point where we can bless our enemies with a happy heart you might ask? You may not be able to do this right away. Matthew 5:44 offers insight about what to do in these situations – Pray!!! Pray for them and keep praying for them! God will begin to brew heart change in you to get you to a place where you can bless with a happy heart. While praying, also ask Him to reveal how He wants you to bless them. Then, pray some more!!
Fire – vital to survival, can be devastating, offers opportunity for renewal and new life. How will you use your fire’s coals? They are vital to the survival of your current enemy situation. Will you throw them at your enemy in revenge and cause devastation? Or, will you give them to God to use for His good, to foster new life. God can and will use this fiery situation as His refining fire to brew something special in them…and you? You might even find that new life has been fostered and your enemy is now a friend. Next step, share s’mores!
Let’s Brew!