You Don't Have to Fix All the Evil in the World (Do This Instead)

Living Among Weeds Without Losing Yourself
In Matthew 13, Jesus tells a parable that hits hard today: a farmer sows good seed, but an enemy slips in during the night and scatters weeds among the wheat. Both begin to grow together.

That’s where we live, right in the middle of a field where good and evil grow side by side.

But here’s the key message: even when weeds grow around you, keep being the wheat. You don’t have to fix all the evil in the world, but you do have to respond. Too, it, and you have a choice — will you sleep through it, or will you shine in the midst of it?

Don’t Underestimate Evil — But Don’t Be Paralyzed By It
It’s tempting to pretend evil isn’t that serious, or that it’s far away from our lives. But Jesus is clear — the enemy does his work “in the midst” of God’s field.

So yes, we will face evil: in politics, in schools, in neighborhoods, even in our families and workplaces. But Jesus also says something else:

Justice is on the way.

Matthew 13:30 points to this reality — there’s a harvest coming. Judgment belongs to God, not to us. Evil doesn’t get the final word. The enemy doesn’t get the final victory.

How to Live Righteously in a Broken World
This parable teaches us to live with tension. We want to eliminate evil — but that’s not our role. What we’re called to do is to grow faithfully, live rightly, and trust that justice will come in God’s time.

The apostle Paul breaks it down even more practically in Romans 12. Here’s the strategy:

1. Bless Those Who Persecute You
Even when everything inside you wants to retaliate. Respond with blessing.
2. Rejoice and Weep with Others
Empathy is powerful. Live in harmony with people — not above them, not against them.
3. Repay No One Evil for Evil
Let your life shine with honor, not retaliation.
4. If Possible, Live Peaceably
Not everyone will be easy to live with, but do your part to make it work. You are responsible for your posture.
5. Feed Your Enemy, Quench Their Thirst
Your love in response to hate creates space for God’s power to move.
6. Don’t Be Overcome By Evil — Overcome Evil with Good
This is the heart of the Gospel. Jesus overcame evil not by force, but with sacrificial love.

Vengeance Isn’t Yours — And That’s a Good Thing
We live in a time where outrage is currency. But Romans 12:19 tells us plainly:
“Never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God. For it is written: Vengeance is mine, I will repay.”

That’s not passive living. That’s strategic faith. You’re choosing to trust God with outcomes.
It’s why Psalm 96 says the trees themselves sing for joy “before the Lord, for He comes to judge the earth.” His judgment will be righteous. It will be faithful. And it will be final.

Our Model: Corrie ten Boom’s Courageous Goodness
Corrie ten Boom was a quiet Christian watchmaker in Nazi-occupied Netherlands. She and her family risked their lives to hide Jews during the Holocaust. Eventually, they were caught. Corrie and her sister were sent to Ravensbrück, a brutal concentration camp.

There, even amid unimaginable evil, Corrie and her sister held Bible studies and shared comfort with others. Betsy’s words still echo: “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.”

After the war, Corrie even forgave one of her Nazi captors. She sowed good, not because evil disappeared, but because her heart remained rooted in Christ.

Be the Wheat. Keep Growing. Keep Shining.
You are not called to eliminate all evil. You are called to live rightly in the midst of it.

You don’t overcome evil with outrage. You overcome evil with good. You don’t silence hate with hate. You silence it with love, patience, integrity, and humility.

One day, justice will roll in like thunder. The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father (Matthew 13:43).

Until then, you grow. You shine. You choose not to sleep through this life. You decide not to give in. Because when evil comes — and it will — you overcome it with good.


This blog is based on the message shared by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson at our CityRise West U Baptist campus on Sunday, June 29, 2025. Check out the full message below!