“You’re praying for her, right?” asks Concerned Christian.
“Actually, I decided to follow the Apostle Paul’s example regarding Alexander in 2 Timothy as that seems more applicable to my situation,” replies Faithful Spouse.
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You need to know that Alexander,the jeweler, has done me great harm. May our Lord give him what he deserves for all he has done.
-2 Timothy 4:14, TPT
I wonder how many of us had well-meaning Christians tell us how we should relate to our unrepentant exes.
They assume the “Christian” thing is to play “nice” and only wish good for this individual. That is NOT the only model in the Bible as 2 Timothy 4:14 illustrates. It is a verse that gives us permission to wish God exacts justice for our situation.
The key, though, is that we give them to God.
Personally, though, I find this verse in 2 Timothy 4 refreshing. It is real. It is raw. And it isn’t sugarcoated in fake religious language.
The Apostle Paul memorialized for us all a wish for his persecutor to experience God’s justice. It is Scripture.
It does not sound like the Apostle Paul is praying blessings on Alexander here. That common “Christian” advice is NOT followed here. Rather, the Apostle Paul wants God to repay Alexander for harm he has done to Paul.
In real time, I just couldn’t pray for him. I didn’t wish him bad, I just didn’t have the will to care one way or the other.
I just knew it wasn’t right to wish ill on him so I didn’t. That was all I could do in real time.