revenge

Junior had just received his brand new drivers license. To celebrate, the whole family trooped out to the driveway and climbed into the car for his inaugural drive. Dad immediately headed to the back seat, directly behind the newly minted driver.

"I'll bet you're back there to get a change of scenery after all those months of sitting in the front passenger seat teaching me how to drive," said the beaming boy to his father.

"Nope," came dad's reply, "I'm gonna sit here and kick the back of your seat as you drive, just like you've been doing to me for sixteen years!"

We relish the opportunity to "get back" at someone who has done us wrong. As Christians, we are aware, however, that such an attitude is wrong. We are familiar with the passage in Romans 12 where we are told "Do not avenge yourselves." Perhaps you may have always believed that to be one of the "new commands" in the New Testament. But, vengeance has never been pleasing to the Lord. Listen to these words from Solomon:

"Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles....Do not say, 'I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.'" (Proverbs 24:17,29)

Though we often say that "revenge is sweet," the truth is that it ends up leaving a bitter taste in the mouth. May God give us the strength to resist the temptation to pay back all those who have wronged us.