Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay”, says the Lord.  Romans 12:19

Which is quoting a verse from Deuteronomy 32:35:  Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them.  

These verses came to mind the other day - for 2 reasons.  One reason was that I was praying with someone who is going through a terrible ordeal at the hands of another.  I prayed with her, and my prayer was that she would not take revenge but allow God to handle it.  The other reason I thought of these verses was because of what happened to a missionary friend.  Their house was broken into and their laptops, cameras, DVD player and other stuff was stolen.  For people in the United States, we simply call the police and then call our insurance company and before long we have new stuff.  That is not the case in other countries.  The stuff is gone and that is pretty much how it will be until they can afford to buy replacements.  Boy that makes me mad!  It probably makes you mad too.  Just imagine how God feels about it.  

But wait, after verse 19 in Romans, it goes on to say in verse 20:  Therefore “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

That’s a pretty tall order.  When something bad happens, what is my first response?  Am I thinking of revenge, of finding a way to get even?  Sometimes the answer to that question is yes.  I don’t actually do anything to get revenge, but I have thought about it.  And according to Jesus, if I have thought about it, it is the same thing.  I know that God brings situations into our lives so that we can see how we are doing.  Some days I do better than others.  The important thing is to notice what we are doing and what needs to be changed.  God is just waiting for us to run to him for help.  I don’t know about you, but God gives me lots of opportunities to see how I am doing.  I have decided that I am going to take the opportunities and make the most of it.  When I see areas that need work, I will pray about it.  Before long, God will give me another opportunity to practice what I have learned.  I am still learning, and I still need to practice but I can see improvement.

So, is revenge sweet?  No, it isn't and it's not biblical either.  The next time a situation happens that just ticks you off - stop in your tracks and consider what God may be trying to show you.  And remember, that God is the one who decides on revenge, not us.  Our mission, should we choose to accept it, is to feed our enemies and repay evil with good and leave the revenge to God.