Today, I found my mind wandering down a path. And I realized I had an ingrained thought pattern that said it was okay to get even with someone. The more I looked at it the more I found its ugly signature all throughout my thinking. If someone irritates me… its okay to flick them. If someone does something to me then I have the right to do that same back to them even it its wrong.
The Bible says “Vengeance is mine!” says the Lord. To often I want to extract my vengeance albeit a small revenge, but its all the same. How often to we do this. If someone calls us a bad name we feel obliged to do the same. If someone points out our sin, we have to make sure that they know about their sin too. Its not pretty and I find it at work in all around me. I find it at work in me! I must confess it is sin. I have this kind of self-righteous, thinking I am deserving of fair treatment kind of righteousness. I know this attitude is not of God, yet too often I hear it all around me in the body of Christ.
I’ll really try not to beat up on too many of you, as Jesus calls me to get the log out of my own eye first, before worrying about the speck in my neighbors eye. But I have noticed that I have this log in my eye so as I pull my log out will help you maybe see your own.
I know it is a worldly attitude that we get growing up. We all learn about retaliation in its various forms. Some people are bullish about it. They force their ways, they hit, they, shove, they name call, they insult, they shame others, all so they can feel like they got theirs in. Others of us are less obvious but just a ugly. We are passive-aggressive. We never do anything overt, but we still find a way to ignore someone’s request or find some excuse not to help. These kinds of little revenges are pitiful, but still just as sinful in nature. The Bible encourages us to love others, consider others’ needs above our own. We are called to love our enemies and forgive those who transgress against us. Yet as I look in the mirror, I am struck by this part of me that is not of God. This part that says I have the right to payback wrong for wrong. It says, if someone sins against you… return them the favor. Now I know it is wrong to act that way. I know this is not the mind of Christ, but yet there is this part of me that says, well that’s how it is. Its okay to smack someone who smacks you. It is okay to take someone to court who wrongs you, but that is the world speaking. It is not Christ speaking. I want to follow in the foot steps of my Master, but it is hard sometimes; hard because I don’t want to repent of my sinful attitudes, I don’t want to trust in His ways, I want to trust in the ways I have learned to live. I think somehow I am deserving of a self-empowered justice. Its only fair isn’t it?God isn’t fair as we understand fair. He is just. He does what is right, He repays wrongs, but He also forgives the sinner. Just because we think we are deserving of something doesn’t mean it fits into God’s idea of justice.
“Its not fair Mother!” the teenager cries, “All the other girls got the new Ipod Nano. Mine only has 10 gigs, theirs have 40!” But is it fair that other children cannot even afford food and basic needs. Our sense of fairness is so self-centered. How often do we really think about justice in the sense that God does. He cares about the widows and the orphans, do we. He cares about the homeless and prostitute do we? Do our lives reflect His sense of justice or is it just about us getting either what we want or what we think we deserve or need?
Okay where was I? Okay so I recognize that in me is this need to get my way, to even get even with others over minor things. It really bothers me when I see people driving recklessly; especially in residential districts. I would like nothing better than the citizens of my neighbor hood to take up all the chestnuts that fall every autumn and carry some with them so that when ever they say a car driving recklessly (too fast or blowing through an intersection or crosswalk) they could take those chestnuts and throw them at those drivers. It would make a part of me so happy, but I know its not the Jesus way. We are shown repeatedly in the New Testament that the only way to overcome evil is with good. Even in proverbs it says “A kind word turns away wrath.” Revenge, even in the smallest things is not really Christian. Its worldly and we are called to not walk as the world walks. And as we know little things lead to bigger things.
I’m a pastor and I have seen lots of ugly behavior on the part of Christians and they talk that like they are in the right and are justified. It makes me sad. I have seen spouses commit adultery because they were convinced their own spouse was already committing it. I have seen Christians take Christians to court. This is a huge no no. I have seen men and women trade insults back and forth in this kind of tit for tat kind of pattern. Its not pretty people, but it has been engrained in us by this world system. I ask you to join with me now and repent of this sinful thought pattern that says its okay to trade wrong for wrong. Its OF THE DEVIL! We are not called to live that way. We are called to forgive quickly, to not keep track of wrongs and to love others in a way that the world can’t comprehend. I can go on an on about this forever but lets just end it here. We don’t need this kind of attitude. Its not a Kingdom of God kind of attitude. Its an ugly, self-centered, me-first, worldly kind of thinking that only leads to death. Lets repent of it not only in the big things… but even in the littlest, seemingly innocent need to get even with our friends, neighbors and enemies.
Be blessed this day I prayIn Him,P.A.
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