‘Do not repay evil with evil’ (1 Peter 3:9 NIV)
How many times in the past have you reacted badly when people have hurt you, or when they have said something against or to you, or when you have felt ‘wronged’ by them, how many times have you wanted to ‘speak to them viciously’, whilst ‘holding’ a base-ball bat?
There have been many times in the past when I have wanted to have a quiet word with someone, whilst holding something heavy in one hand and maybe waving it around some-what.
But that is not the answer, revenge is never ending;
‘The problem with revenge is that it never evens the score. It ties both the injured and the injurer to an escalator of pain’ (Lewis B. Smedes).
So when people decide to ‘take the law into their own hands’, no-one wins. And then the process just repeats itself, and repeats itself, and so on. But is revenge not our right?
‘Weak people revenge, strong people forgive, intelligent people ignore’ (Anon).
‘In taking revenge, a man is even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior’ (Francis Bacon).
So by letting the hurt or slight pass by, we are taking the intelligent way out, but some may see that as weakness. Does not the Bible say ‘an eye for an eye’ (Matthew 5:38 ESV)? But if everyone lived with the code of, “if you hurt me, then I will hurt you, what would happen then? Would the world be full of vicious weak people? Who is strong enough to really and truly forgive?
‘An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind’ (Mahatma Ghandi).
We should look to the source of All Truth, The Bible. We know that within its pages will be that answers and guidance that we need, we know that God will teach us through the written word;
‘I will instruct you and teach you’ (Psalm 32:8 NIV).
So why do we insist on ‘going it alone’?
God is always available, whenever we want or need him, he is there waiting for us to call on him, like many people, I too have learnt this lesson the hard way, but;
‘The LORD is near to ALL who call on him’ (Psalm 145:18 ESV – emphasis mine).
That does not mean that at other times, when we call to God, that he may be busy, or that there is some other matter that has arisen far away that requires God’s attention. God is always available to us, he told the nation of Israel this very fact, and Paul reminded the Hebrew Christians of the exact same thing, that he (God) would and will always be by our side;
‘NEVER WILL I LEAVE YOU’ (Hebrews 13:5 NIV – emphasis mine).
So whenever someone hurts us, all we have to do is call out to God;
‘I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me’ (Jonah 2:2 ESV).
Now, Jonah had been told by God to do something specific, and so on hearing what God wanted of him, what did he do? He did exactly the opposite of what he was told, and yet did he get ignored when he realised his mistake and called out to God? No, God still answered his prayer. The Psalmist also knew this to be true;
‘In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice’ (Psalm 18:6 ESV).
So when we are overwhelmed with feelings of anger and hurt, when we feel that we may ‘lash out irrationally’ (Eric Lloyd as Charlie – ‘The Santa Clause’ – Disney – 1994), that is when we should be turning to God and asking for, pleading for help.
Jesus even gave us details of how we should act when we feel overwhelmed with what life throws at us;
‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I WILL give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28 NIV – emphasis mine).
Jesus knew that we could not fully and completely handle life, and he commented upon the fact that if we try to ‘go it alone’, then we would falter, that it would not always be ‘rainbows and unicorns’, and that it would be extremely likely that things would go awry;
‘apart from me you can do nothing’ (John 15:5 NIV).
So when we feel that the world has turned against us, that the people we used to think of as friends are the ones that are hurting us; when we cannot see the wood for the trees, that everything seems to unravel at the slightest touch, it is precisely at that time when we should call to Jesus.
Jesus, the one who Saves, Jesus is the Great Friend to all, The Redeemer, the Light of the World, my friend;
‘O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me’ (Psalm 30:2 NIV).
I am not saying that every time the world feels that it is against you, that you can call out to Jesus and he will ‘smite your enemies’ instantly, but we know that it has been said, ‘The Lord will judge’ (Hebrews 10:30 NIV) and also;
‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay’ (Hebrews 10:30 ESV).
So according to some;
‘Revenge is a dish best served cold’ (Ricardo Montablán as Khan Noonien Singh – Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan – Paramount Pictures – 1982).
Remember, the weak get revenge, the intelligent let it pass by, the strong do something unexpected;
‘To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you’ (Lewis B. Smedes).
Set someone free today!
There’s a table that You’ve prepared for me
In the presence of my enemies
It’s Your body and Your blood You’ve shed for me
This is how I fight my battles
There’s a table that You’ve prepared for me
In the presence of my enemies
It’s Your body and Your blood You’ve shed for me
This is how I fight my battles
In the valley I know that You’re with me
And surely Your goodness and mercy follow me
So my weapons are praise and thanksgiving
This is how I fight my battles
And I believe You’ve overcome
And I will lift my song of praise for what You’ve done
This is how I fight my battles
This is how I fight my battles
This is how I fight my battles
This is how
It may look like I’m surrounded but I’m surrounded by You
It may look like I’m surrounded but I’m surrounded by You
Surrounded (Fight My Battles)
Elyssa Smith
Lord thank you for giving us everything in life that we need, your Son Jesus. Help us to fully rely on him to lead us, guide us, and teach us what we need to know, and help us to look to his life for how we should act. Lord we know that all we need is within The Bible, help us to study your word and learn the truths that we need to know.
Amen