They thought it was just kids playing pranks, but it turned out to be an angry 72 year old man, instead. From 2003-2005, a number of former teachers and school admins in NYC reported a rash of vandalism at their homes. They would wake up to punctured car tires from roofing nails scattered across their driveways… and garage doors & mailboxes splattered w/paint. Some victims complained of being hit every two weeks.
It went on for nearly 2 years until perpetrator was caught…
Turned out vandal wasn’t a rebellious student but a former co-worker named Thomas Haberbush who was still angry about poor performance reviews he had received in 1977, when he was dismissed as teacher. The police investigator… “I’ve never seen anyone carry around a grudge like that for 30 yrs…it’s bizarre”
We all know what it feels like to be hurt by someone; to have been wronged. But what do you do when you are given the opportunity to get even.
Chuck Swindoll calls revenge “life’s most subtle temptation.” He writes, “We dress it up. Revenge sounds bad so we say things like ‘I’m going to get you’ or ‘I’m just standing up for my rights.’” This leads to what we might think of as “justified retaliation.”
Do you have any enemies? Me? No enemies, just quite a few people I have a hard time loving. It’s been said that to be human is to have enemies. In fact, Jesus assumed you and I would have enemies when he said in Matthew 5:44 – “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” The question is not whether or not we have enemies. The issue is whether or not we will love them, forgive them, and reconcile with them.
Revenge: The desire or urge to get even with somebody. To punish or cause harm as an act of retaliation.
We have to understand that with God, personal integrity is more important than payback.
What happens when you seek revenge is that you lay down your personal integrity. You lay aside character. You stoop down to the level of the person who hurt you.
Romans 12:19-21 – “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
When we put the matter in God’s hands we have assurance that God will make things right. The idea of revenge is only an illusion. You can never “get even” with anyone. It is impossible to balance the scales of hurt. The only possible way to come out on top is to respond to hurt with a godly attitude and trust that God will settle the account.
Nelson Mandela - Seeking revenge is like drinking poison and praying for the other person to die. It’s an all-consuming emotion that destroys you from the inside out.
The people of God do not retaliate. The people of God do not seek vengeance. We do not take revenge into our own hands.
We have no control over how people treat us, what they say, and what they do. But we do have complete control over how we respond. How should we respond when we’ve been hurt? There are only two options: We can try to get even or we can place the matter in God’s hands and leave it there.
Today’s Challenge: If you are carrying a burden of unforgiveness, aren’t you ready to let it go? Forgive as God has forgiven you. Seek opportunities to reconcile the relationship. Today is a good day to get started.
