Pam Padgett ... teacher
This morning while reading in Romans 12, verse 17 stood out to me ...
Romans 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all
men.
While considering what we're told here, I recalled something that happened to me right before and after I retired. My manager told me that I would need to have one last performance review before retiring, but he kept putting it off. Finally, the afternoon of the day before I retired, we were to have the review over the phone because he was out of town. However, instead of sending me the review and going through it as had always been done in the past, he told me that he couldn't show me how he had reviewed my performance, that overall he had evaluated my performance as "average", and that his boss would sign off on the review.
The reasons he gave for not letting me see the review were very twisted and made no sense. I knew there was something very wrong with the way this was being handled. Seeing nothing else to do, I verified with him that I didn't need to do anything else in order for all pre-retirement items to be completed and terminated the call.
I turned very strongly to God about how this performance review had been handled, and asked Him to help me really forgive my manager. I was reminded of the following ...
Matt. 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
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Matt. 18: 21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
Surely, I have sinned and offended others many times. How could I not forgive my manager?
A few days later his secretary called me about a check I could either pick up or she would mail to me. She said that my manager (who lives just up the street from me and passes my house going to and from work) didn't want to bring it to my house because I was "mad" at him about my performance review.
I told her that I wasn't mad at him, but that it was no problem for me to pickup the check. I didn't tell her how the performance review was handled.
Although the performance review really meant nothing since I was retiring, I kept being troubled by the lack of truth in both how the review was handled and my manager telling his secretary that I was mad at him. Also, I kept thinking of how awful it would for my manager to drive past my house, or see me walking my dogs, and think I was angry with him.
I sent him a letter telling him that I was not at all "mad" at him, but was very sad about how he had handled the performance review since he hadn't done it in an honest and straight-forward way. I also told him that I had forgiven him, but that I felt I needed to try to straighten out what was not true.
A few days later he saw me and told me he had received my letter and agreed he had not handled any of this appropriately. The brief conversation was not strained or awkward, and I felt that the way I believe God had led me to handle this situation had allowed us to live in the same neighborhood in peace.
As I considered Romans 12:17 this morning, I marveled at how God worked this out.
Romans 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
After being reminded of what we're told about forgiving others, I didn't want to "get back" at my manager for what he had done to me (for example, I didn't tell his secretary what he had done). But I did have a strong desire to set forth truth, providing things honest, as much as I could, both to the secretary directly and to the manager in the letter.
While writing this I also am reminded of what we're told in Romans 12:18, and believe this was an outcome of this as well ...
Romans 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.