Conquer Evil by Doing Good

March 8, 2026

Marie and I are watching a mystery series on the Hallmark channel called Darrow and Darrow. It’s about a mother-daughter attorney practice that solves the ‘case of the week.” It’s a good series for several reasons, good acting and good writing are at the top of the list. But what is interesting about this series is the character development. The mother, played by the redoubtable Wendy Malick, was once a lawyer for a large, prestigious New York City law firm. However, she was falsely accused of illegal activities and fired. She wasn’t prosecuted, but she was blackballed to the point that no law firm in the city would hire her, so broke and homeless, she went back to where her daughter is running the small law firm started by her late father. Mother and daughter have a tense relationship to say the least, but as the series progresses (there are four movies in this series and Marie and I have watched three), they begin to see past their differences and appreciate each other's good qualities.  In the first episode, Mom obsesses over what happened in New York and hopes to get her revenge on those who wronged her. By the third episode, she finds herself warming up to small-town life, and with the help of her unexpected fellow (they are Hallmark movies after all), she begins to obsess less about getting even with those who falsely accused her and more about embracing her present situation and bonding with those around her. I didn’t write all this to be a movie review. I wrote it to give an example that most of us can relate to. When you are wronged, don’t you usually have thoughts of retaliation? Wouldn’t you just love the opportunity to be in a situation where you had all of the control and held their fate in the palm of your hand? What if there is a better way? Paul reminds us, “Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good, Romans 12:21 NLT. What does Paul mean when he tells us not to let evil conquer us? Bitterness and resentment are like cancer to the human soul and mind. They eat away at your peace, your joy, and your contentment, often getting to the point that who and what you are bitter about and resentful of occupy your thoughts continuously. Paul tells us that, as Christ followers, it is more profitable to do good to those who wrong us rather than to pay them back with evil. When you do good to someone who has treated you badly, you mess with their minds. They are expecting revenge. Instead, they receive kindness, and when they do, they don’t know what to do with it. Returning evil with kindness is good for you, too. You have the satisfaction of knowing you did the right thing and honored Christ through your actions. While punching your nemesis in the nose might feel better in the moment, the long-term satisfaction of returning good for evil will always be sweeter in the end.

Be blessed and be a blessing . . . Bro. Andy