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GETTING EVEN
You’ve heard it many times….”Just wait…” or “I don’t give up…I get even”…or “Revenge is sweet.” But you won’t read that in God’s word.
One of the things that God doesn’t give the believer is the right to seek revenge. There are a lot of good reasons for that but the most important one is His wisdom regarding our nature.
I know that I have misjudged people and circumstances, thinking that I had all the facts. For me to attempt to ‘get even’ is nothing more than seeking revenge; a sure sign of disobedience to God and his word.
When we are wronged, it is God himself who promises to take care of those attacks. He instructs us to be hospitable, blessing those who curse us and to be honest in the sight of all men. He instructs us not to avenge ourselves but to live in peace whenever possible…He does not instruct us to get even for the hurts and despair we endure. (Romans 12:13-19)
Remember what the Bible teaches whenever you become spiteful… “Vengeance is mine: I will repay, saith the Lord.” (KJV)
The New American Standard Version states it this way… “…do not be wise in your own estimation” (Rom. 12: 16b – 17a) “never pay back evil for evil. “
If God commands us not to ‘get even’ or ‘pay back’ there must be a reason for it. The most common sense answer is because we really don’t understand the root of most attacks against us, whereby He understands it all, even the most hidden agenda’s of our enemies.
Contrary to popular belief, getting even does not make you feel better if you are a Christian. In fact, it does the opposite because we have lowered ourselves to the offender’s level. God tells us to look past the evil and to forgive; in other words, take on the mindset and actions of his Son and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is not impossible to accomplish, but it is extremely difficult to do on our own. What if Christ could not find it in his heart to forgive us for our every day sins? We stumble all of the time. We don’t mean to tell those little white lies; we know we shouldn’t gossip, but the other person started it; losing our temper is normal…right?; I try not to be selfish or egotistical but it is my nature to protect what is mine…etc., etc., etc. However, Christ does forgive and he does so all of the time and only asks that we do the same.
By studying his word and applying what we study, we will become more the child He wants us to be. We don’t have to be vengeful yet we don’t have to suppress our hurts and despair either; we are to p lace all of our cares on Him (I Peter 5:7).
What steps can we take?
What we need to do is forgive one another (Col. 3:13); obey our leaders and submit to their authority (Hebrews 13:17); submit ourselves to God (James 4:7) and let the peace of God rule in our hearts and be thankful. (Col. 3:15)
I think there is a warning for us here: If we desire retribution, it may be a clue that our walk is not what it should be. Don’t waste time thinking up ways to retaliate for that is the way of the devil not the Lord. Every minute you spend dwelling on getting back and getting even is a minute lost focusing on His word…and every moment that you have robbed yourself of the peace and joy promised you through his instruction.
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