Proverbs 20:22, “Do not say, “I’ll PAY YOU BACK for this wrong!” Wait for the LORD, and He will deliver you” {NIV}
Contrary to popular belief, REVENGE ISN’T SWEET; it makes us SOUR! Marcus Aurelius said it best: “The best revenge is to be UNLIKE him who performed the injury.”
Furthermore, studies have shown an association between negative emotions such as Anger and Revenge with a variety of Destructive Physical Symptoms, including headaches, backaches, allergic disorders, ulcers, nausea, high blood pressure, and heart attacks! Sadly, while vengeful people plot another’s demise, they are unaware that they often develop a painful health problem for themselves! In a nutshell, they don’t realize that Paybacks have a way of Paying You Back Too!
Mahatma Gandhi gave us this insight: “An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind.” It’s vital that you Remember for every Payback, there is a Surcharge. So, YOU will have to Pay Also!
Revenge is an outward manifestation of an underlying problem: ANGER! Anger left unchecked will deepen into bitter roots of resentment or even jealousy. And when these Unbiblical attitudes are full-grown, the desire for Revenge springs up! “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal to throw it at someone else; When You Are The One Who Gets Burned”! Your anger is Doing Damage. The problem is, You’ve Overlooked the Burn Marks In Your Hands to Prove to You WHO Received the Damage!
Revenge Opposes the Golden Rule: “Do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). Another translation says this: “So then, whatever you desire that others would do to and for you, even so, Do Also To And For Them…” (AMP). Therefore, if you seek Forgiveness when you are in the wrong, don’t expect to get it if Revenge is the Seed You’ve Sown in the Lives of Others!
Instead of taking things into our own hands, this proverb encourages us to let go and let God deal with our enemies! Because with God; wicked people, will eventually get their “just due!” Therefore, You are Never to Exercise Vengeance because God said: “Beloved, Never Avenge Yourselves, but leave the way open for [God’s] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance Is Mine, I Will Repay (requite), says the LORD” (Romans 12:19 AMP). Therefore, vengeance Belongs to God, and He Alone Has the Right to Exercise It! And Unless You Can Prove You Are Indeed GOD, You Have No Rights to Vengeance! Another translation reads: “Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; That’s Not For You To Do. “I’ll Do The Judging,” Says God. “I’ll Take Care Of It” (Msg). Did you catch all that? You don’t get to hit back, you don’t get to get even, you don’t get to judge, and you don’t get to take care of it! That Is All In God’s Authorization and Under His Jurisdiction Alone! The word “jurisdiction” means: “the official power to make legal decisions and judgments; the territory or sphere over which the legal authority of a court or other institution extends” Its Latin Origin comes from “Jus,” meaning “Law” and “Dicere” meaning “Say.” In other words, When It Comes to Vengeance, God Alone Has Jurisdiction to Make Decisions! Why? Because that’s what the Law (Bible) Says!
In a nutshell: Get Angry if you must, But You Can’t Get Even!
Louis XII of France is said to have treated his enemies in an Unexpected Manner after ascending to the throne. Before coming to power, he had been cast into prison and kept in chains. Later, when he did become king, he was urged to seek Revenge on those who had opposed him, BUT HE REFUSED! Instead, he prepared a scroll on which he listed all who had perpetrated crimes against him. Then, he placed a Cross in Red Ink behind every man’s name! When the guilty heard about this, they feared for their lives and fled. Then the king explained, “The Cross which I drew beside each name was not a sign of punishment, but a pledge of forgiveness extended for the sake of the crucified Savior, who upon His Cross Forgave His Enemies and Prayed For Them.”
Moral of the Story: Just because you have a right to be angry doesn’t mean you can exercise it to cause injury! In God’s Book, that’s still Wrong! Anger is one letter short of Danger.
“Anyone who angers you conquers you!” (Author Unknown) And last I checked, the Bible Still Says, You Are to Be Led or Controlled By the Holy Spirit ONLY, Not Your Emotions, Feelings, or Hurts! So, stop allowing your anger, resentment, and attempts at Revenge to become your mini-god! You’ve bowed down to it long enough and often enough already! Cast down the idol of your anger, resentment, and Revenge, and serve the Lord as His True Disciple: “Let me give you a new command: Love One Another. In the Same Way, I loved you; you Love One Another. This is how everyone will Recognize That You Are My Disciples – When They See The Love You Have For Each Other” (John 13:35 MSG)
You can’t say out of one side of your mouth that you love God, but you hate your brother or sister out of the other side! The Bible reads: “If anyone boasts, “I Love God,” and goes right on Hating His Brother or Sister, Thinking Nothing of It, HE IS A LIAR. If he won’t Love the Person He Can See, How Can He Love the God He Can’t See? The Command We Have From Christ Is Blunt: Loving God Includes Loving People. You’ve Got to Love Both” (1 John 4:20 MSG).
You can’t Praise God and Curse Your Brother or Sister!
“My dear friends, with our tongues we speak Both Praises and Curses. We Praise Our Lord and Father, And We Curse People Who Were Created To Be Like God, AND THIS ISN’T RIGHT” (James 3:9-10 CEV). So, like it or not, if you’re going to Love God, You’ve Got To Love LIKE God!
Listen, I’ve learned that getting Revenge may get us even with our enemies, but Forgiveness Places Us Above Them! We are never more LIKE God than when we turn the other cheek!
- “Forgive Us Our Debts, As We Also Have Forgiven Our Debtors” (Matthew 6:12). Another translation says it like this: “And Forgive Us our debts, As We Also HAVE FORGIVEN (LEFT, REMITTED, AND LET GO OF THE DEBTS, AND HAVE GIVEN UP RESENTMENT AGAINST) Our Debtors” (AMP). Did you get that? Forgive Us Because We’ve ALREADY FORGIVEN THEM FIRST! Now That’s Within Your Jurisdiction!
Hear the Word: “In Prayer There Is A Connection Between What God Does, And You Do. You Can’t Get Forgiveness From God, For Instance, Without Also Forgiving Others. If You Refuse To Do Your Part, You Cut Yourself Off From God’s Part” (Matthew 6:15 MSG). However, I don’t think we fully grasp this Scripture!
Look at it this way: If you are angry with your brother or sister over what he or she did to you on November 1, 2009, and you haven’t forgiven them since all the wrong YOU’VE has done since November 1, 2009, Has Never Been Forgiven By God No Matter How Many Prayers You’ve Prayed! Because Your Forgiveness Hinges On Their Forgiveness! I’ll reiterate the text: “In prayer, there is a CONNECTION between what God does and What You Do. You Can’t Get Forgiveness From God, For Instance, Without Also Forgiving Others. If You Refuse To Do Your Part, You Cut Yourself Off From God’s Part” (Matthew 6:15 MSG). I don’t know about you, but I do too much wrong from day to day that needs the Forgiveness of God, that I can’t afford to go year-by-year Living Outside of the Forgiveness of God!
REMEMBER: It’s Conditional! You Are Forgiven After You’ve Forgiven!
People of God, the Scripture Will Not Change Just Because You’ve Been Wronged! The Fact Is, If You Don’t Forgive Them, HE Will Not Forgive You! Now, Do You Want To Take Chances Living Outside The Forgiveness of God?! Are You That Angry With Someone That You Would Rather Walk Around Unforgiven By God?! I don’t know about you, but Absolutely No One Can Make Me That Mad! Anger, Revenge, Resentment, Unforgiveness are All Expensive! They Will Cost You God’s Forgiveness; Heaven as Your Home; a Crown; a Robe; Your Name Written In the Lamb’s Book of Life; Peace; Joy; Contentment etc.
Therefore, I ask you again, Is Payback Really Worth That Much To You That You Would Pay This High Price to Bankrupt Your Soul By Losing So Much of God’s Goodness!?!
Take some time today to think that over!
Someone may ask you, why should we forgo Revenge and offer Forgiveness? Tell them it’s simple Because We Have Been Forgiven Repeatedly and Completely By God! Therefore, We Can’t Live Anyway Contrary! Consequently, we Must Do For Others What Has Been Done For Us, Forgive, Repeatedly, and Completely!
To Issue Payback Is Human, But To Pardon Is Divine!
Let’s go a little further:
Matthew 18:15-17, “If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him – work it out BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he doesn’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest and try again. If he still doesn’t listen, tell the church. If he doesn’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer God’s forgiving love again.” (MSG).
Don’t Be Messy! Don’t allow your hurt to make you act out of character. If there should be an issue between you and another, take it to them alone! Please don’t make a scene; don’t make a show; this is not about performance but repositioning two people at odds so they can call it even. Don’t get caught up in the cliques; don’t involve anyone that’s not a part of the problem and solution.
You see, this is where the church often gets messy. Because we talk to everybody about the situation, except the one person, it indeed involves. And of course, we only give our side, which is the side that shows us in the best light, although this light is usually a lot dimmer than we’d like to admit. We want to hear everybody tell us we’re right, and we deserve to pay them back for what they did. And truthfully, it’s okay to feel hurt, even anger, when someone wrongs you, but you still must handle it the right way. You can’t say you love God while you curse them out. You wouldn’t know you live for God when you’re trying to destroy someone else’s life. You can’t say you want to be like God while your characteristics are contrary to His character. Instead, take the issue to whom it belongs and resolve it in a godly manner where God would be able to look and say, ‘My children are acting as they belong to Me now.’ Stop inviting outside guests to see you act a fool. Make amends even if you weren’t the one that caused the breach. Remember, you don’t receive Forgiveness when you don’t give it.
Matthew 18:21-22, “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, when my fellow believer sins against me, how often must I forgive him? Should I forgive him as many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you; you must forgive him more than seven times. Even if he wrongs you seventy times seven” (NCV).
To many, this seems unfair. It seems wrong. It seems unjust. However, what if God only forgave us seven times, then stopped? Where would we be? Imagine God saying, ‘sorry, you’ve maxed out your forgiveness benefits.’ And Peter only offered seven times. But from birth, how many times have we wronged God? If this were the case, many of us wouldn’t be forgiven past our youth! You’re not going to want to hear this, but as a believer, you don’t get to put a limit on Forgiveness. Why? Because God doesn’t set a limit on your Forgiveness. And since your Forgiveness is directly connected to theirs, do you want God to cut you off as Peter would suggest, at seven? I think not. Because as saved as we are, we sin beyond seven times by the time we wake up in the morning! We need God’s constant Forgiveness, and likewise, our brothers and sisters need our endless Forgiveness. So, pray and ask God to give you a heart of compassion like His. Provide you with stricter skin to handle offense because the offense will often come by those we love most.
Think of Jesus. After all, He did among the 12; three of them couldn’t even stay awake for Him in prayer, one would betray Him, and only one could be found at the foot of the cross at His death! And yet, He didn’t replace them, didn’t cut them off, didn’t destroy the friendship, didn’t keep rehearsing what they did and didn’t do. No, He continued to be with them, to reveal more of Himself to them; He still loved them and loved them so much that He forgave them. So let us, as Christians, start acting more Christ-Like. Stop keeping a headcount on who hurt you and how many times. Because if God were to count how many times you’ve hurt Him, what would that number look like?
Today, forgive significantly because you have been greatly forgiven.
Ephesians 4:32, “Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.” (MSG).
Don’t let your mouth get messy! Keep your mouth off people’s lives, and yes, that includes those who have hurt you. The Bible speaks against us, Believers, using cutting words, backbiting, and profane talk against anyone. That’s not how we communicate. That’s not our language. Our words have life and death power, and because we belong to Him and are to act like Him, our words need to speak life. Not gossip, not slander, not rumors, not lies, not belittling. We are to speak life and do so gently and sensitively. After all, you can’t be nasty towards someone you’re mad at because they were hateful towards you. We don’t get to play tit-for-tat. We should have put all our childish ways aside long ago. We are mature, character and integrity-driven saved folks. And its high time we act like it. Use your speech for conversation, not cursing.
In addition, remember, once again, to not only forgive but to do so quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you. Don’t hold any more grudges! Don’t keep replaying the wrong in your mind. Instead, move swiftly and thoroughly in Forgiveness, which means you forgive Completely! Don’t use the cowardice way of ‘I’ll forgive, but I won’t forget. That’s a back-handed insult to God. That’s a form of godliness while denying its full power to transform you. Instead, live and forgive just as God did for you quickly and thoroughly!
Luke 6:27-36, “To you who are ready for the truth, love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, gift wrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat- stuff. Live generously. Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that. So, I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never – I promise – regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.” (MSG).
Does this need any further comment?!
2 Corinthians 5:18, “God has done all this. He has restored our relationship with him through Christ, and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships” (GWT)
We Are Not In The Business Of Recklessness, But Restoration. So, therefore, today, stop tearing down people, stop hurting others because they hurt you. Stop causing discord and division. We are the body of Christ, and as such, we are to maintain Its’ health and well-being. And that’s hard to do when you keep pouring the poison of Revenge into the Body of Christ. Remember, you’ve been called to the ministry of reconciliation, not the messiness of retaliation. Jesus laid down His life to restore our relationship with the Father. And now it’s time for us to follow suit. Let’s restore our relationship with our brothers and sisters; after all, wouldn’t that be what our Father wants of us, His children, primarily since He used His own Son to do this very thing on our behalf?
1 Peter 3:8-12, “Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, with no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless – that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and you will also get a blessing. Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, here’s what you do: Say nothing evil or hurtful; Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you’re worth. God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he’s asked, but he turns his back on those who do evil things.” (MSG)
People of God, for us, Payback is a blessing! No exceptions! This is our lifestyle, and this is our conduct; this is our behavior. Does it take away the sting of the hurt? Nope! Does it please the Father? Yes! And isn’t that what this is all about? Doing what pleases the Father? It’s what Jesus did; it’s how Jesus lived. Today, let us follow in His footsteps, behaving the same way. Let’s give unbelievers reason to want to inspect our faith further. Let’s live in the right way, even when we’ve been wrong, which makes those who hurt us question their actions. Let’s be a healthy Body of Christ. A healthy church. Healthy believers. After all, if sin is sickening to death, how can an unhealthy Body help bring the cure to the world that needs it? We can’t try to save, heal, and deliver, and our conduct says nothing of salvation, healing, and deliverance, but instead, it represents malice, anger, Revenge, and unforgiveness. Let’s live in such a way that we Shine and not have that shine dimmed by Payback.
Pay Back is a Blessing, so if You are to Pay Anyone Today, Make the Payment a Blessing, and Watch God Add to You a Bonus!
You Handle Forgiveness, Let God Handle Payback!
Blessings
J.P. Olson
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