Never Avenge Yourselves

Beloved, never avenge yourselves… “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:19-21 (ESV)

Somebody betrays you, wrongs you by slander or abuse, takes advantage, and hurts you or someone you hold dear. And someone says, “Don’t get mad, get even.” It’s a natural and socially accepted attitude that if someone wrongs you, revenge is mighty sweet!

The world we live in deals in propaganda of all sorts. Don’t take your advice from movies, songs, or funny idioms that grab your lower nature. People “get even” because they are angry. And if you think revenge is sweet, brace yourself for its bitter aftertaste. It may be natural to want to hurt people because they have hurt you, but you are a spiritual man in Christ, not a natural one.

Revenge is your attempt to remove the humiliation you suffered from the actions of others. You think vengeance will bring you up from a lowered state of mind and make you even once again with the one who hurt you. Why would you want to be on the same level with someone who moves in abuse and heartache? Christ calls you out of darkness to the high life, not a low one.

Jesus told us that if we mourn, we will experience comfort. The Father of mercies and the God of all comfort assist us in all our afflictions. The Father is the only One capable of avenging you. Let Daddy fix it for you, for if you repay evil for evil, you will certainly reap what you sow.