Revenge: August 11, 2010

Today's Word for Wednesday August 11, 2010

REVENGE

DEFINITION

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

SCRIPTURE

"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

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

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. Your child rebels and breaks rules you have made. A fellow worker blames you for an incident at work. A friend accuses you falsely on some issue. A spouse hurts you deeply with derogatory comments or unloving actions. 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. This is hard because it is against human nature. We want to get even and see others suffer for what they have done to us. But if we are to live a life honoring God our words and deeds 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! When we respond with love and a forgiving 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 consistent in telling us to respond to a wrong by doing good. The Bible makes no exceptions. 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.

LEARNING

Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 2:4:

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
PRAYER

Help me today to respond with an attitude of love and forgiveness to those who treat me wrong. My great desire is to be more like You. May others see Christ in all my words and deeds and may my attitude be an example to my family, friends and neighbors.