Week 12 Day 5

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Do Nothing in Malice

Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

2 Corinthians 13:11

Make us of one heart and mind,

Courteous, pitiful, and kind;

Lowly, meek in thought and word,

Altogether like our Lord.

Abraham Lincoln was a gentle man. At the same time, he was a diligent and persistent military commander. These characteristics might seem to be at odds. But Lincoln’s mild manner actually gave him the respect he needed to talk tough and carry a big stick. He was determined but not cruel. “I shall do nothing in malice,” he proclaimed. “What I deal with is too vast for malicious dealing.” Because the country believed Lincoln acted out of principle and not out of self-promotion or political expediency, he gained the support he needed to wage war. Do you act out of spite or principle? If you act out of malice, you’ll soon lose the support you need. If you act out of love and for the truth, you’ll never have to look around for support.