Revenge Ain’t So Sweet
Romans 12:19 My friends, don’t try to punish anyone who does wrong to you. Wait for God to punish them with his anger. In the Scriptures the Lord says, “I am the one who punishes; I will pay people back.”
Revenge, so the saying goes, is sweet. I mean if someone hits you on the nose, you hit them back, only harder. That’s how it goes, isn’t it? After all, what’s the alternative? Becoming someone else’s doormat?
They say that revenge is sweet. Well, maybe it is for a short time, but revenge always, always leaves a bitter taste in your mouth.
There have been times in my life, sadly, when I’ve taken revenge on people who’ve hurt me. I used to do it a lot before I became a Christian. I was something of a strongman who used strong arm tactics to get my way.
But don’t kid yourself. You don’t have to out-and-out punch someone in the nose to exact revenge. Just ignoring them, subtly undermining them, withdrawing your support will do it.
Now, I can tell you firsthand that in that moment when you exact revenge, there is indeed a rush of sweetness. But pretty quickly, the victory becomes hollow. And in the longer term, it leads to deep loneliness, because someone who takes revenge ends up not having too many close relationships. So, what’s the answer? Do we just let people get away with things? Do we become a doormat? Well, there is another way.
Romans 12:19 My friends, don’t try to punish anyone who does wrong to you. Wait for God to punish them with his anger. In the Scriptures the Lord says, “I am the one who punishes; I will pay people back.”
This is so good. Leave it to God. Let Him decide what to do. He’s much better at it this stuff than you or me. Really. He’s much more just. Much more loving.
And honestly the bitterness that revenge leaves behind in your heart simply isn’t worth it. It just isn’t.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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