2 Timothy 4:14

Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works.

Paul does not hide the truth about what happened. He says it plainly. Alexander the coppersmith did him much harm.

That is refreshingly honest. Sometimes spiritual people feel pressure to pretend that nothing ever hurts them. But Paul does not pretend. He acknowledges the wrong that was done.

What is striking is what he does next.

He does not say, “Timothy, make sure everyone knows what Alexander did.”
He does not say, “I hope the Lord really gets him.”
He simply places the matter in God’s hands.

“The Lord reward him according to his works.”

There is a quiet confidence in those words. Paul knows that justice does not ultimately depend on him. The Lord sees the whole story. Every action. Every motive. Every hidden thing.

And because the Lord is just, He will handle it rightly.

It reminds me of the moment when someone finally hands a dispute over to a judge. Once the case is in the courtroom, the injured person no longer has to carry the burden of settling the matter themselves. The responsibility now belongs to someone with authority to decide what is right.

Paul does exactly that.

He hands Alexander’s case over to God.

When we refuse to do that, something heavy settles into the heart. Bitterness begins to grow. We replay conversations. We imagine arguments. We carry the offense around like a stone in our pocket.

But when we place the matter before the Lord, the weight lifts. The wrong has not been ignored. It has simply been entrusted to the only Judge who always gets it right.

And that frees us to keep moving forward.

Because if every wound becomes a lifelong grievance, the road of faith becomes crowded with old battles and unfinished arguments. The heart gets tired from carrying them all.

Paul refused to walk that road.

He acknowledged the hurt. He told the truth about it. Then he placed the matter in the hands of the Lord and continued on.

Sometimes the most peaceful words a believer can speak are these.

“The Lord will deal with it.”