Overcome Evil With Good ~Jonathan Anderson, Smithville, TN Church of Christ~
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said: “It is always the right time to do the right thing.” Joey Prusak, a teenager from Minnesota and manager of a Dairy Queen, is a person who demonstrated that thought. Joey is a 19-year-old manager at a Dairy Queen in Minnesota. While serving customers in 2013, Joey observed someone in the line drop a $20 bill. He also realized that this person was either fully or partially blind and that they did not see the $20 fall to the ground. Another customer quickly picked up the $20, but instead of returning it to the person who dropped it, put it in their own pocket!
When Joey witnessed this, he asked the other customer to return the $20 to the person that dropped it. They refused. So, Joey asked that person to leave his store and property immediately.
If that’s not impressive enough, Joey then reached into his own pocket, pulled out his own $20 bill and gave it to the customer that dropped it. (For reference, Joey makes about $10 an hour, so his generosity cost him about 2 hours of work.)
As J.C. Watts said: “Character is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking.”Although he did not seek any recognition, word about his good deed has spread and made him famous. Many people have visited the store to meet Joey and repay him the $20 that he gave away. I don’t know if Joey Prusak is a follower of Jesus or not, but in that moment, he displayed perfectly the words of Romans 12:21: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” As followers of Jesus, let’s do the same.
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Watch Your Step ~ Jay Launis, Maud TX Church of Christ~
Who did you influence this week? Did someone change a bad habit because of the good example you set for them? Did someone not say a curse word because they know that you’re a Christian and you don’t approve? Did someone commit to a more wholesome lifestyle because they’ve observed the patience and contentment that you possess in your life? Did you encourage someone to be more positive and happy?
Because you are a Christian, you have a great amount of influence on the lives of other people. They look to you for guidance even though they may never ask for it. They respect your judgment though they may never ask for your advice. But they are constantly watching you and how you conduct yourself in every situation. We must always be aware that the eyes of the innocent, immature, and unsaved are fixed on our every move. In order not to disappoint them or lead them in the wrong direction, we must watch every step. The bible teaches us that we must even be willing to sacrifice our liberties in order to keep someone from sinning.
The Apostle Paul said, “I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. (Romans 14:14) however “ It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. (Romans 14:21)
This week, commit to being a better example to those around you. Have you recently made someone stronger or caused them to be weaker spiritually? Remember, “Watch your
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