Have
you ever been hurt, betrayed or misunderstood? These are universal offenses
that have marred every one of our lives. If we are to live in the blessings of
God, we have to take people off our potter’s wheel and let Him vindicate us.
When
people do us wrong, it is easy to develop a negative attitude. It is human to want to get even and
seek revenge. We think, “You hurt
me so now I have the right to hurt you.” We have the right but it’s not
always right to exercise our right! It feels good to our flesh to pay people
back but it is contrary to the teachings of Christ and in the long run it
affects us adversely the most.
Researchers
are now saying that when we hold a grudge and carry an offence, it can cause
long term damage to our immune system. If we do not forgive and let go of the
crimes committed against us, we allow ourselves to be susceptible to
depression, chronic illness and even mental breakdown. This is why it is wise
to forgive and release the offender to God. The quicker we learn to master this
process, the happier we will be.
In
the Bible, David was anointed to be the king of Israel. He made grave mistakes
but he had a humble heart. David was very loyal to Saul, then current king of
Israel. But Saul got jealous. He made multiple assassination attempts to get rid
of David. David on the contrary could have killed Saul but he understood this
principle: God will vindicate him. Saul made David’s life miserable but David
always found solace in God and He kept doing his best to run with God. Finally,
Saul’s life ended in a violent death while David is hailed as one of the
greatest kings of Israel. Saul is remembered as a villain while David is
remembered as a man after God’s own heart.
Friend,
I’m not making light of what happened to you. You do not deserve to be treated
the way you have been. But if you let go of your pain and forgive the offender,
then God will vindicate you. If you take matters into your own hands, God will
stand back and let you handle it yourself.
You
may have people at work talking bad behind your back. You may see other
businesses prosper in deceitful ways. People may look down upon your family
because you don’t wear the latest fashion or drive the latest car. Management may
not promote you in spite of your excellent performance because you don’t
compromise your Christian faith. People may look at you as a second class
citizen because you have an addiction. No matter who or what causes you grief,
let God vindicate you. When we bless our enemies who persecute us, the Bible
promises us a special blessing.
The
Word of God says, “You
serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my
enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing” (Psalm
23:5). What is interesting here is when we allow God to fight for us He will
not only make sure to pay us back in front of our enemy. Our opponent will see
our promotion, joy, laughter and happiness. Does this sound good to you? Wait.
There is more! When we allow God to vindicate us, He will make the enemy pay us
back seven times more for all the troubles he has caused us. God always restores
broken lives better than the original. You may look weak and outnumbered now but
if God be for us, who can be against us? He is the Defender of the weak. Let’s
pray for our enemies. Let’s not get bitter; let’s get better. Do not repay evil
for evil and God who is the Righteous Judge will vindicate you in ways you have
never imagined!
“Do
not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD, and
he will avenge you” (Proverbs 20:22 NIV).
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