Revenge or forgiveness

[C.F.W. Walther]

I keep vacillating back and forth between those two. God says revenge is His department and that He'll take care of it but I have a hard time seeing it His way. As a wronged human being I think payback should be immediately. I keep forgetting that God loves the other person to and that He just might want to teach them a lesson.

That then brings up the subject of forgiveness. That's a hard pill to swallow. But if God loves them then why can't I? I know that if I show my love to my fellow man that I'm showing it to God. I just can't bring myself to do it for some people...........yet. My X for one.

I know what the Bible says but I want to hear what others think of this personally and how have they REALLY dealt with it.

 

[seajoy]

God knows you would like to forgive. He also knows you are a human being.
We are not robots that can push a forgiveness button. God is working this forgiveness in you right now. You started this thread because Jesus is touching your heart about it.

You know what is right....in time your feelings of revenge will heal. Forgiveness will come.

Rest easy in your Father's loving Arms. He sent His Son for you.

 

[Flipper]

I know it's a un-Christian statement, and a cliche, but I believe it's true:

What goes around comes around. Doesn't always happen right away, or in a way you would like it to, but people who have truly wronged you will get their just desserts, one way or another.

Just need patience, elder grasshopper. It seems easier to exact revenge, but it really is easier to simply forgive and move on.

 

[DaRev]

You wanna exact revenge on someone who's wronged you? Do the things they least expect.

Proverbs 25:21-22, "If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For you will heap burning coals on his head, And the LORD will reward you."​

Romans 12:19-21, Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." No, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Matthew 5:38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' 39 "But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 "And if anyone wants to sue you, and take your shirt, let him have your coat also."

Believe me, the shame they feel afterwards is far better and far more productive than any measure of "getting even" that you could do.

 

[TheCosmicGospel]

Forgiveness is like telling God whatever happened to you happened to Him first. He is in charge of all accounts. That is His job. He is pretty good at it.

Keep your heart free to serve God. You can't do that all bottled up with a need for revenge.

Look at the cross. Look at revenge. Take your pick.

In your last fleeting breath, would you rather see the cross placed before you or the picture of the person who finally got even with?

Peace,
Cos

 

[C.F.W. Walther]

Well I had this little vendetta planed but between what was posted here and talking with other Christian friends I decided to forgive my X. Now if God honors it I should be able to keep it as a "forgive and forget" situation.

 

[seajoy]

Well I had this little vendetta planed but between what was posted here and talking with other Christian friends I decided to forgive my X. Now if God honors it I should be able to keep it as a "forgive and forget" situation.

 

[DaRev]

Well I had this little vendetta planed but between what was posted here and talking with other Christian friends I decided to forgive my X. Now if God honors it I should be able to keep it as a "forgive and forget" situation.

Keep it in prayer, my friend.

 

[Confess]

Go to Private Confession and Absolution regularly. It helps me.

 

[rockytrails]

revenge aint so sweat every time i did it. i felt worse than before
that little thing God calls a conscience sure is a pesty miserable thing.

the one time i felt good about doing it though was when i bit
my mule as hard as i could on his nose after he bucked me under some trees and i broke some mighty big limbs that i should not hve been capable of with some prety tender part of my upper torso

 

[LilLamb219]

Well I had this little vendetta planed but between what was posted here and talking with other Christian friends I decided to forgive my X. Now if God honors it I should be able to keep it as a "forgive and forget" situation.

Forgiving can be easier than forgetting. It takes time to heal so if you feel frustrated about not forgetting quickly, don't give up and start going in reverse...keep going down that right path and in time it won't hurt as much.

 

[Jim47]

Forgetting can be all but impossible since we are sinful humans. What is important is that we forgive, but it goes further then that. Real forgiveness also includes that we never bring up those old hurts to those who have hurt us. In this way do we appear to forget them and that is what the real meaning of forget in this case means. Once we have committed to do this and asked God for help He will also bring healing to our sinful hearts, and He may even erase the pain from our memory.

Its all part of submitting oursleves to God's will and neglecting our own sinful desire to get revenge. Sometimes this takes time as LilLamb suggests, but we must keep on trying. Jesus said are to forgive others if we desire forgivness of our many sins. Thus the parable of the plank in our own eye and the dust in our neighbors.

Once you have done this it becomes easier.

 

[pastorjimg]

No theology- just my heart.

I hate forgiveness- when I am the one who has to do it. I love forgiveness when I am in need (always).

I heard a speaker today and he used the story of the prodigal son. He said you Lutherans do a good job of reminding us of the fact that we are sinners and need the father's love. He said people need to know this and continue to remind people of this fact. He said he would like to add to that that eventually we are to be the Father- not in the sense that we are God but in the fact that we are to be the ones forgiving. Every son grows up to be a father!

It is easy to talk about forgiveness and quote scripture but the truth is it sucks. It is especially more difficult when the person hurting us is doing it intentionally. I don't want to be "had". I want to come out on top. When someone like and ex is intentionally hurting us it can be more than just the pain that has been caused but my pride that says you won't get the best of me therefore I will do X to you.

Jesus is the epitome of forgiveness and I wish he would tell us, like he does with revenge, that we shouldn't deal with it because he will do it.


ONE POSSIBLE REASON WE HAVE TROUBLE FORGIVING?
I believe one of the reasons for our trouble in forgiveness is that we are a very mobile society. If someone wrongs us we leave- a spouse wrongs us we divorce, the church hurts us we leave, if a co-worker has hurt us we get a different job. Instead of working on forgiveness we run. We don't practice forgiveness much in our lives because it is easier to just leave.

 

[porterross]

Very well said, Pastor Jim. Thank you.

 

[bdfhjlnprtvxz]

Revenge, and forgiveness...

Well, all I have to say about it, is that we as sinful human beings love to get vengeance over forgiveness. I am in that mindset a lot, as well... However, at the same time, when you look at it, which one is ultimately easier to accomplish? Plotting ways to get back at someone, trying to carry it out and then watch as the work unfolds; or saying, "Y'know, I'll let God do the judging" and be done with it. And, yes, we can say it and not mean it; but, if we truly in our hearts just remind ourselves that God will be the ultimate decision-maker in the End, then we can truly take it to the Lord in Prayer.

Final Point: I want vengeance, but must give forgiveness. I pray when I want revenge, so that I can get that out of my heart, and make room to forgive. Because God knows what to do with everyone, it's no longer my place to try and figure out what I want to do with someone. If you like old hymns, look up "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." It was my grandfather's favorite hymn, and one of my top five favorites.

 

[ctay]

The first thing you want to do is get back at someone, your usually hurt at the time it happens, I've been in situations where I've been hurt, I'm usually hurt at first but then I realize that they if they do something wrong they have to answer to God and let God handle it. I'm at peace with that then.