heap those coals!!

I just read a verse this morning that I felt I needed to explain to everyone because for a long time I didn’t understand what it really meant. Its Proverbs 25:21-22. I am reading and it starts talking about my enemies and what I need to do to them and for them. I read verse 21 and it says that I need to feed them and give them something to drink which sounds like a pretty hard thing to do if they are considered my “enemy”. I keep reading into the next verse and I read something that sounds good to me with dealing with enemies; heaping burning coals on their head. I’m thinking, “thank you Jesus for giving me a little vengeance for myself and dealing with people that would give me a hard time”. I am imagining scooping some coals out of a stove and dumping them on an enemies head and watching their hair start on fire and then I win $100,000 on Americas Funniest Home Videos. Then the rest of the verse says that the Lord will reward you! I mean, how much better could it get than that; a cooked head of hair on my enemy, $100,000 from AFV and blessing from God. Then I studied that verse and got an education about what it really meant. Back in Bible times, burning coals were put in a head dress to keep a person’s head warm and not to cook their hair off. So I not only am supposed to give food and drink to my enemy but I am also supposed to make sure that their head is warm and they don’t catch a cold. The whole verse is not about what I can do to make myself feel better but about taking care of even my enemies. It is not hard to love and care for someone you like. It is another thing to live life on purpose and take care of those that you know probably don’t have your best interests in mind. For any of you who were misinterpreting that verse sorry to take away a reason to be mean to your enemies. Take time today and think about how you can bless your enemies which is not a real easy thing to do but worth it.