Revenge and Healing
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)
If we read the final two verses of Psalm chapter 75, we are exposed to the subtle maturation of the Psalmist. The Psalmist, in the early portion of the chapter, has been on an emotional roller-coaster, addressing his concerns about the wicked, the arrogant, and the evildoers. With detail, he explains how God is going to handle his enemies. Still, all this talk about God’s judgment is rooted in the Psalmist’s pain.
Sometimes we can be so focused on getting people back that we ignore our need for healing, because it is hard to embrace healing when we are fixated on revenge. What is more important than getting vengeance on those who hurt you, or obsessing over how they could have done so, is getting healed from the hurt. When you place a higher priority on revenge, you must constantly manage the anger of the injury.
Revenge is like holding on to hot coals with the intent of throwing them at your enemies. In the end, you’re the one who gets burned in the process. Don't burn yourself trying to get back at someone else. Instead, pursue healing.
As he is writing this psalm, the psalmist almost misses the fact that revenge causes you to give more power to the one who hurt you. When you believe that lie, implicitly what you are saying is “I can’t move on until you give me what I think I deserve from you.” But true healing requires that you stop focusing on the external and shift your focus to the internal. It is only when you want to be made whole more than you want your enemies to hurt that you began the process of learning and growing from what you faced, and you also allow God to mend your heart so that you can move forward.
So, don’t get hung up on revenge. Don’t spend all of your time trying to get back at the person who hurt you. Instead, choose to pursue healing. Allow God to do a healing work in your heart and soul, and make the decision to focus more on what you can control within yourself rather than trying to control another person.
If we read the final two verses of Psalm chapter 75, we are exposed to the subtle maturation of the Psalmist. The Psalmist, in the early portion of the chapter, has been on an emotional roller-coaster, addressing his concerns about the wicked, the arrogant, and the evildoers. With detail, he explains how God is going to handle his enemies. Still, all this talk about God’s judgment is rooted in the Psalmist’s pain.
Sometimes we can be so focused on getting people back that we ignore our need for healing, because it is hard to embrace healing when we are fixated on revenge. What is more important than getting vengeance on those who hurt you, or obsessing over how they could have done so, is getting healed from the hurt. When you place a higher priority on revenge, you must constantly manage the anger of the injury.
Revenge is like holding on to hot coals with the intent of throwing them at your enemies. In the end, you’re the one who gets burned in the process. Don't burn yourself trying to get back at someone else. Instead, pursue healing.
As he is writing this psalm, the psalmist almost misses the fact that revenge causes you to give more power to the one who hurt you. When you believe that lie, implicitly what you are saying is “I can’t move on until you give me what I think I deserve from you.” But true healing requires that you stop focusing on the external and shift your focus to the internal. It is only when you want to be made whole more than you want your enemies to hurt that you began the process of learning and growing from what you faced, and you also allow God to mend your heart so that you can move forward.
So, don’t get hung up on revenge. Don’t spend all of your time trying to get back at the person who hurt you. Instead, choose to pursue healing. Allow God to do a healing work in your heart and soul, and make the decision to focus more on what you can control within yourself rather than trying to control another person.
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