Do people really think like this?

memoriesbymichelle

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I was listening to a sermon on the way to work and it was talking about how we are not supposed to seek retaliation for people doing wrong to us or offending us somehow. The example was "I'm mad at so and so, she didn't talk to me at church so I'm not going to talk to her anymore". It just dawned on me for some reason that I never even think like this. And then it made me wonder if other people do and I"m just oblivious to it lol.

So....do you think of getting back at people, or making sure they know they wronged you or offended you? Do you seek retaliation? revenge?
just curious.
 

Rhye

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I dislike things like that. I dislike it with a passion. If I don't like someone, I just don't talk to them or think about them. However, I've also found that when time passes by, I think why in the world was I even upset? Why? It just seems pointless. So if the opportunity presents itself and I see the person, then I talk to them. I know it would not be the same as before, but it doesn't stop me from reaching out. Life is too short to sit around and be upset with people. If that were the case, I would be alone.
 
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Luther073082

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I was listening to a sermon on the way to work and it was talking about how we are not supposed to seek retaliation for people doing wrong to us or offending us somehow. The example was "I'm mad at so and so, she didn't talk to me at church so I'm not going to talk to her anymore". It just dawned on me for some reason that I never even think like this. And then it made me wonder if other people do and I"m just oblivious to it lol.

So....do you think of getting back at people, or making sure they know they wronged you or offended you? Do you seek retaliation? revenge?
just curious.

I don't but my mother does.

She keeps a running tab in her head of which family members came to which events for her and her kids.

So if you made it to my graduation party, then she felt compelled to attend your kid's graduation party.

But if you didn't make it to my graduation party, she's feels quite free not to go to your kid's graduation party.

She lives in this quid-pro-quo world in a lot of things, including gifts (and the amount spend on them)

Revenge and things of that like are just natural parts of that world.

FYI: Many of you know this, but some of you don't. My parents are not Christians.
 
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Obzocky

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I was listening to a sermon on the way to work and it was talking about how we are not supposed to seek retaliation for people doing wrong to us or offending us somehow. The example was "I'm mad at so and so, she didn't talk to me at church so I'm not going to talk to her anymore". It just dawned on me for some reason that I never even think like this. And then it made me wonder if other people do and I"m just oblivious to it lol.



It seems to be a common thing, the need to correct something viewed as a personal slight with another wrong. It's easier to respond in like than make an effort to continue living with the attitude you wish people to give to you.

So....do you think of getting back at people, or making sure they know they wronged you or offended you? Do you seek retaliation? revenge?
just curious.


It's not something that haunts my thoughts to be honest. I'd rather continue trying to treat people in the manner I wish to be treated than try to hurt someone for doing something I consider hurtful. It never hurts to be polite, even if the other individual insists on acting like a dingbat.
 
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LoveJC9

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[SIZE=+2]COMPLETENESS[/SIZE]

"And I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Whenever anything begins to disintegrate your life with Jesus Christ, turn to Him at once and ask Him to establish rest. Never allow anything to remain which is making the dis-peace. Take every element of disintegration as something to wrestle against, and not to suffer. Say - Lord, prove Thy consciousness in me, and self-consciousness will go and He will be all in all. Beware of allowing self-consciousness to continue because by slow degrees it will awaken self-pity, and self-pity is Satanic. Well, I am not understood; this is a thing they ought to apologize for; that is a point I really must have cleared up. Leave others alone and ask the Lord to give you Christ-consciousness, and He will poise you until the completeness is absolute.
The complete life is the life of a child. When I am consciously conscious, there is something wrong. It is the sick man who knows what health is. The child of God is not conscious of the will of God because he is the will of God. When there has been the slightest deviation from the will of God, we begin to ask - What is Thy will? A child of God never prays to be conscious that God answers prayer, he is so restfully certain that God always does answer prayer. If we try to overcome self-consciousness by any common-sense method, we will develop it tremendously. Jesus says, "Come unto Me and I will give you rest," i.e., Christ-consciousness will take the place of self-consciousness. Wherever Jesus comes He establishes rest, the rest of the perfection of activity that is never conscious of itself.
 
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memoriesbymichelle

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I don't but my mother does.

She keeps a running tab in her head of which family members came to which events for her and her kids.

So if you made it to my graduation party, then she felt compelled to attend your kid's graduation party.

But if you didn't make it to my graduation party, she's feels quite free not to go to your kid's graduation party.

She lives in this quid-pro-quo world in a lot of things, including gifts (and the amount spend on them)

Revenge and things of that like are just natural parts of that world.

FYI: Many of you know this, but some of you don't. My parents are not Christians.

I get the non christian thing, but WOW what a way to live. It must be very tiring for your mom to keep track of all this. Is she grumpy alot?

For me, I guess it just dawned on me that I don't think that way. I mean if someone doesn't talk to me, I might get my feelings hurt, but that's it. I probably wouldn't even say anything to them (unless I felt compelled and was really close to them). But to actually "think" about doing something back, to pay them back so to speak, I guess I got rid of that DNA if I had any long ago, because I can only remember feeling that way once, and it was when a bully tried to beat me up, and I wouldn't hit her back, but she pulled out ALOT of my hair before she gave up and AFTERWARD I was really mad and at that moment wanted revenge, but didn't ever pursue it and she left me alone after that so...
but to live life thinking about getting back at people (who usually haven't a clue they've wronged you) not in my character (and I'm glad for that).
 
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Inkachu

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It kinda depends on what someone's "done" to me, and why they did it. If it's someone close to me, a friend or relative, I'm more likely to feel hurt than vengeful. If it's some random stranger who just feels like giving me the finger in traffic or something, that's more likely to put me in red-eyed angry cat mode, lol.

I've had times where I definitely felt like "I'm gonna show them! Just watch me!" but that's very rare for me. I'm not sure I could remember the last time I felt that way.
 
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It really depends.

For someone ignoring me in a social setting? No, I'm not going to think about "getting back at them" for something like that.

For someone who has ripped me off and caused me alot of grief at work? Yeah, in my darker moments I've thought about getting revenge. A window broken. A car trashed. I'm just glad I never acted on them, because I know it would've caused *me* alot more grief in the end.
 
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N.S.J.Walker

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I have seen it happen before, so I know it does happen. Many churches have been split over this. I think this spirit of taking offense and bitterness to the church is the "Bitter Water" spoken of in Revelations that killed (spiritually) 1/3 of the earth.

It is a very easy thing to take offense about something. After all, none of us are perfect and ever imperfect thing we do will offend another.

What is much harder to do is to forgive the person who offended you.
 
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memoriesbymichelle

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Yeah I heard someone say to me once "Well you know..perception is reality!"
After I thought on that for awhile I thought yeah...it is....for the person who is perceiving it!
Alot of times when people are offended or feel like someone wronged them, alot of times they are just plain wrong and the other person has NO idea anything is even amiss.
Also if you think about being mad at someone over a long period of time (which is frowned upon in the Bible of course), usually the person that you have a problem with, just goes on their merry way, unaffected (unless they come in contact with you and you tell them) so it hurts the person that gets mad more than the other person. That's why we are told not to do it.
 
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memoriesbymichelle

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yup. Its why I'm working at going to people when I have a problem with something they've said or done rather than just stew about it. Rational and open communication is always a good thing and will accomplish much more in the long run.


I SO agree! I always say "that's what adults do, they talk things out". I actually said this to my friend when helping her move and she wouldn't let us touch anything without her approval and the move was taking an eternity and we were all frustrated and I told her so. And I asked her, what would she rather I have done, keep it all inside and be secretly mad at her for it? NO friends talk things out IMO I just never was the revenge seeking type. I read Vengence is mine sayeth the Lord in the Bible and I believe it.
 
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I dislike things like that. I dislike it with a passion. If I don't like someone, I just don't talk to them or think about them. However, I've also found that when time passes by, I think why in the world was I even upset? Why? It just seems pointless. So if the opportunity presents itself and I see the person, then I talk to them. I know it would not be the same as before, but it doesn't stop me from reaching out. Life is too short to sit around and be upset with people. If that were the case, I would be alone.

I can relate to this. And like Ethnog said, I usually end up forgetting and find it pointless to be upset.

Usually if it's a family member that upset me I'll give them the silent treatment, but I hate doing it and end up forgiving them within minutes.

Isn't it okay to be angry though? I'm mean just as long as it doesn't turn into a grudge or hate. I'm not sure if it applies to being angry at someone... I need to find some scripture to back this up.
 
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memoriesbymichelle

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I can relate to this. And like Ethnog said, I usually end up forgetting and find it pointless to be upset.

Usually if it's a family member that upset me I'll give them the silent treatment, but I hate doing it and end up forgiving them within minutes.

Isn't it okay to be angry though? I'm mean just as long as it doesn't turn into a grudge or hate. I'm not sure if it applies to being angry at someone... I need to find some scripture to back this up.[/quote]


BBM Of course you can be angry, but the Bible says :

Ephesians 4:26 (NKJV) "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
Ephesians 4:31 (NKJV) Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
And here are scriptures that give examples of what anger does. Hope this helps.
anger burns (Genesis 39:19)
anger can be fierce and cruel (Genesis 49:7)
anger can be hot (Exodus 11:8)
anger consumes things like stubble (Exodus 15:7)
anger can be aroused (Exodus 22:24)
anger can be hostile (Leviticus 26:28)
anger can be provoked (Deuteronomy 4:25)
anger destroys (Deuteronomy 7:4)
anger can be furious (Deuteronomy 29:28)
anger flares up (1 Samuel 20:30)
anger can be jealous (1 Kings 14:22)
anger can burn and not be quenched (2 Kings 22:17)
anger can break out (1 Chronicles 15:13)
anger can be poured out (2 Chronicles 34:25)
anger can come as a blast (Job 4:9)
anger overturns (Job 9:5)
anger can be unrestrained (Job 9:13)
anger increases (Job 10:17)
anger assails and tears (Job 16:9)
anger rebukes (Psalms 2:5)
anger arises (Psalms 7:6)
anger reviles (Psalms 55:3)
anger overtakes (Psalms 69:24)
anger smolders (Psalms 74:1)
anger is powerful (Psalms 90:11)
anger is like an upraised hand (Isaiah 9:12)
anger rages (Isaiah 30:30)
anger surges (Isaiah 54:8)
anger can trample (Isaiah 63:3)
anger can be kindled like fire (Jeremiah 15:14)
anger pursues (Lamentations 3:43)
 
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