The Urge for Revenge

There are all kinds of slanderous language and accusations being slung in every direction lately. It seems no one can have a belief or opinion any longer without another tagging your lifestyle as a phobia against theirs. I find it difficult to treat this way of thinking as a one-way street against capitalists and Christians. The nescient elite, the self-indulged elected and the lack of courage by the influential of our country has the citizenry on edge and growing anxious as to what is going to happen to their individual rights and freedoms due to the whimsical actions of our elected officials. Being the nice guy is okay to a certain point, but outright handing over 250 years of blood, sweat and tears that has built and maintained the greatest nation the world has ever known is a might hard to accept. I’m certainly not in favor of violence to express my disappointment in government, but I’m afraid that when push comes to shove Socialism and Shari are going to have an ugly uphill battle. Pray for this country and beg for God’s grace.

When the poet Edwin Markham reached retirement age, thinking he was set for life, discovered he was penniless. So the story goes - his banker defrauded him. From that point on, Markham was obsessed with the evil done to him by a man who was supposed to be his friend. History tells us that Markham was so bitter that he could no longer write poetry. However, one day, while suffering the pain of resentment, the thought came to him that bitterness and the desire for revenge was eating him up, and that he must forgive the man. It was then that he wrote this poem: “He drew a circle and shut me out, Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But love and I had the wit to win; We drew a circle that took him in!” Augustine once wrote, “If you are suffering from a bad man’s injustice, forgive him lest there be two bad men.” Forgiveness is much better than revenge. In my judgment, it is the sign of a gentle nature. On the other hand, to seek revenge is the sign of a savage nature. We are not animals, but human beings made in the image of God. The brave know how to forgive; but a coward never forgives. It is not in his nature to forgive. I’m convinced that the same grace that heals us demands that we forgive people who hurt us the most. Revenge does not work, but forgiveness does.

[Psalm 69] It is getting more difficult every day to not harbor bitterness toward others who are attempting to forcibly change your lifestyle. It’s likely that someone reading this article is a slave in bondage to bitterness. A spouse left you for another; an employer fired you without just cause; you lost a bundle of money in a bad business deal; a bad experience at church; a tragedy touched your family and you are bitter toward God; an unsettled, unresolved argument or disagreement of decades past. Bitter – Bitter – Bitter! God’s Word says we must “...get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice” in our life (Ephesians 4: 31-32). We must forgive one another, “...just as in Christ God forgave you.” But what do I do when someone is forcing their way into my life and defiling the church, my faith and my right to live as the God of the Bible prescribes? I know what Jesus did. He cleaned house (John 2: 12-17). Short of prayer and continued education, knowing your enemy, I for one am lost as to what to do except contact my elected officials to express my feelings as to their actions or the lack thereof. I know God is still on the throne and I trust He will continue to watch over the righteous. God feeds the birds, but he doesn’t throw it into the nest.