Taking Revenge Won’t Satisfy your Soul
“Don’t say, “I will pay back evil.” Wait for Yahweh, and he will save you.”
Proverbs 20:22 WEB
Notice how the second sentence in the verse above doesn’t really respond to the first.
In the first sentence, the person’s desire is to take revenge against the evildoer.
However, in the second sentence, the godly advice totally disregards vengeance, and instead focuses on the victim’s salvation from evil.
There is a lesson here! God’s priority is your safety. His heart is for you to be protected from evil and to be well.
Vengeance isn’t going to make you happy and satisfied. There is no fulfillment found in the destruction of a person.
In the future, Jesus has a Day of Vengeance. It is more popularly known as “the Second Coming of Christ”. He will slay the Antichrist and his wicked armies to save Israel from their hands. But Jesus takes no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked. What God loves is to deal graciously with man.
If the person who is persecuting you suddenly dies, you may feel relief and a certain sense of victory that God has punished your enemy, but it will revert to emptiness shortly after.
Your life still has to go on. Your enemy might be gone, but you are still here. If your only purpose in life was to take revenge, then you have become an empty shell, just drifting aimlessly. That’s why a life spent pursuing vengeance is not worthwhile.
It is better to embrace the godly dreams and goals in your heart, and use your gifts to build up the body of Christ. That’s a life worth living.
I heard someone say that the best vengeance is for you to live your life so well and happily that it infuriates your enemies. I find that so true.
Take no thought of your persecutors, but fill your mind with God and Jesus. God’s priority is to save you from their evil schemes. Expect and confess His deliverance, and while you’re waiting for it, rejoice because you’re in Christ!
Nothing angers your haters more than seeing you happy while they are hopelessly miserable.
“Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:20-21 WEB)
If you want to take it one step further, be so nice to those who are evil to you. Extend lavish grace to them for Jesus’ sake. It will either make them even angrier, or you may even melt their stony hearts and turn them into your friends.
Remember: God’s priority is your safety and wellbeing. He takes no pleasure in executing vengeance. Expect Him to save you from evil, so that you can focus on living undeterred for His glory!
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