“But If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:20‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭25:21-22‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/pro.25.21-22.hcsb

This message is repeated four times here in chapter 12. Vs 17 Do not repay evil for evil. Vs.13 Share with the saints in their needs. And verse 21 Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.

Be nice to all people including to but limited to the brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, those who intend us harm, our enemies, those who plot evil toward us.

So how does being nice to our enemies heap burning coals on their heads? That would either portray that we don’t see their attacks as hostile or we are unaffected by their attacks. They want us to get mad and lash back at them, but by being nice to them we are doing exactly the opposite. They will begin to think about the kindness shown to the them. And will not be able to escape the thought that no matter how much harm they intend to us we are nice to them. Which is the Gospel of Jesus. 

We were once enemies toward God but while we still far away from God He sent Jesus to pay the penalty of our sins on that old rugged cross on Calvary so that we may become friends of God rather than enemies. 

Maybe we will have an opportunity to witness to them and by our kind acts, they will be able to become Christians and our friends.

I am trying to think of an example in the Bible of someone being an enemy toward one person, but because of acts of kindness, they became friends. 

I think of Paul and Mark. At one point Paul and Barnabas had to spilt company because Mark, but latter Mark became special and useful to Paul (Acts 15:37-40, 2 Timothy 4:11)

I think about Paul and Jesus. Paul was known as Saul and He was persecuting the church and Jesus knocked his world upside down. Afterward, Paul began to preach the gospel of Jesus and began to plant many churches outside of Israel (Acts 9:1-9)

The other example is God’s act of kindness to everyone through Jesus. God did not have to save us but He wanted a way to restore the broken relationship with people so that His house may be full. 

Who do we have in our lives that could use acts of kindness rather than hatred? Could we begin to replace anger with forgiveness, hatred with kindness, hate with love, and heap all kinds of conflicting thoughts in their head!