Day 26 – Don’t pay back wrong for wrong

Morning prayer

Start you day with this prayer

Lord, give us wisdom in moments of conflict
Take our words and make them constructive
Take our hands and keep them open to receive but also to give 
Let us always see each other through your eyes
(Silence)
Amen

Prayer station

Use this symbol to lead you in prayer for the day.

Symbol: Feather

Holy Spirit, make us instruments of your peace. 

Help us to be respectful to one another, to listen carefully, and to respond with gentle words. Amen.

Reflection

Read this reflection on the text for the day. 

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else – 1 Thessalonians 5:15.

As believers, we should not only make sure that we do not pay back the wrong someone did to us; we should also make sure that no one else pays back wrong for wrong. Believers should not be concerned about what is important to them, but should rather be concerned with the needs and interests of all people, including those who are not part of the church.

Paul makes it clear that Christians should not be concerned only with their own lives. The concerns of our country and our continent, with all her people, is also our concern. We are specifically called to end the spiral of violence – where wrong is paid back with more wrong – with love and grace.

The only reason why other believers let us play an active role in their lives, is that they experience that we do not put our own concerns first, but theirs. That is why we should intentionally focus on the concerns of our whole community. 

Lord, lead us to put others’ concerns before our own. Give us the opportunity to work against an increase of wrong being paid back with wrong in our world. Amen

Liturgy for life

See the ordinary things you do in and around the house as signs of God’s care.

Who wins in our relationship?

Our conversation today will focus on three questions. The first question is: Why do we keep score when we play sports? The answer is pretty obvious: to see who wins. Most people will admit that we definitely like winning more than losing. The second question is: How do you think we keep score in our relationships? We look closely at who is doing more good deeds for others and who treats others unfairly more often. Now for the last question: What do you think is the impact of keeping score in relationships where some people then win and others lose?

The answer to this last question is that it destroys relationships. If you do something for someone else just because you expect something in return, or if you answer someone in a rude way, “because she was rude to me first,” you are living in a world where wrong is paid back for wrong. In these types of relationships no good things are being done unconditionally.

Take a piece of paper and write at the top: Family Scorecard. Give everyone in your house a chance to tear the paper in half once. Depending on the amount of people in your house, this piece of paper can be in pretty bad shape when you’re done. The point of this exercise is to say: This household does not keep score! We work for the good of all the people who share this space with each other.

Children’s activity

Play with your children.

Wow! 21 Days of isolation. 21 Days in which we’re only allowed to be in our homes (or gardens) and can only go out for the most essential things like food and medicine. It can be a little rough! All the things we usually do during the day, like school, sport, church … are not happening anymore. It can really confuse you and maybe even bore you a little. These daily readings will help you to spend some time with Jesus every day in a creative and fun way. You can do these readings and activities by yourself, with your siblings, or with your entire family. Ask one of the grownups to post your activity on Facebook so that others can enjoy it with you. Tag it with #solitudecalendar #churchtogether

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When someone makes us angry or hurts us, we sometimes want to do something to them to get back at them. As believers, Jesus asks us to act differently. We should always remind other people by the way we treat them that Jesus is in control of our lives. It will happen that people hurt you or make you angry, or maybe you will do it to someone else. How we react to this, must show that Jesus lives in us.

Why do you think Jesus does not want us to take revenge on people for what they did to us?

What can we do if someone makes us angry or hurts us?

Activity

Draw emojis on a piece of paper. Ask someone with a cellphone to show you examples of emojis. Draw a lot of different ones. When you are finished, cut each one out and put them in a jar. When someone makes you angry or hurts you in the next few days, search in your jar for the emoji that describes how you feel. Then search for a friendly or loving emoji that you can give to this person instead of getting them back for what they did to you.

Picture this

Look at today’s illustration. What stands out to you? Talk to the people in your home or with your friends on WhatsApp about the illustration.

– What would you like to put in the characters’ hands?

– How does this illustration connect with today’s Scripture, and how not?

– Create your own interpretation of the illustration through any medium: dance, photography, videography, music, poetry, drawing, painting or short stories. 

Record it and share it with us on social media with the hashtag #countdowndoodles

Thank you’s and testimonies

Share your testimony with us! Use the online form below.

My children and I spend time together every day with these daily devotions. Thank you for the grace you give us each day. It is precious and sent to us at the right time.
– Sandra Kotze
I hope you continue with this Bible study. I really enjoyed it! It was the highlight of every day in this lockdown.
– Marlize Raath

Bedtime story

Bedtime story by storyteller Ewald van Rensburg