Revenge: June 11, 2009

TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY JUNE 11, 2009

REVENGE

Defined by Webster:

To exact punishment for a wrong; a vindictive spirit; to inflict pain or harm; an opportunity to retaliate.

GODS WORD

“My friends do not try to punish others when they wrong you. Wait for God to punish them with his anger.” Romans 12:19

“Be sure that no one pays back wrong for wrong. But always try to do what is good for each other.” I Thessalonians 5:15

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil.” Romans 12:17

WORDS FROM KEN AND DOTTIE

Basic human nature drives most people to want to retaliate when someone does them wrong. This attitude of revenge is not acceptable to God. Every day we have situations that brings out our desire to show some revenge. A fellow worker blames you for an incident at work. A friend questions your decision on some issue. A spouse makes a sharp comment about an action you took. For all of these issues and many more your natural response is to retaliate.

People in deteriorating relationships have a strong tendency to bring up “ancient history.” They feel they have to get payback or revenge. The result is that they can never truly forgive and resolve their anger. They end up suffering even more as the bitterness eats away at them like a cancer. Paul tells us in Romans to let the Lord be our avenger. He will punish with justness and fairness.

We have talked to people who have evidently been wronged years ago and the relationship between the two parties progressively gets worse every year. This is not acceptable in God’s sight because he wants us to live a life honoring him in all we do. When such an incident happens God expects you to respond with love and not with revenge. And this is hard and against human behavior as we understand it. But we must live a life honoring God by our words and deeds so we need to take the initiative and make things right.

God tells us in His Word that it is not our role to retaliate, to punish or to seek revenge. Let God deal with the issue and especially when you respond with love and an understanding attitude it will make a lasting impression on the one that wronged you. It is a well known fact that it takes two to fight and when your response is loving and caring it takes “all the air out of the balloon” of the one that wronged you. One day God will right every wrong.

The Bible is clear in telling us to respond to a wrong by doing good. Next time you are in such a situation do not retaliate but do good and see what happens. You may have to, as the saying goes “Bite your Tongue.” It is hard to continue a fight when there is only one in the fight.

TODAYS FAMILY PRAYER

Help me today to be responsive to wrongs given my way with a spirit of love. My great desire is to be more like you. May others see Christ in all my words and deeds and may this same attitude be prevalent with my family, friends and neighbors.