Don't Retaliate; Celebrate!

Matthew 5:11-12 says, "Blessed are you when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

We're human, so we all err. There are times when things happen to us, and we feel combative and vengeful. We hear a lie or rumor about us and want to retaliate or prove ourselves. We get lied to or hurt and want to cause the perpetrators the pain they’ve caused. We say, “I will repay,” in our hearts, but did not God say, “Vengeance is mine”?

We must remember that God is Almighty and all-knowing. He knows and sees everything. Mankind can lie to and fool one another, but no one can fool God; He’s incapable of being deceived. God understands too. Lies and evil committed against us hurt in different ways, but shall we just be readers of the Word only? We must be doers as well, even when others aren’t doing us right.

So, what does His Word say when we are spoken evil of and done evil to? Does His Word tell us to clap back, retaliate, prove our points, or go to war without God? No! The Word tells us to do something that may seem very strange and contradictory to our flesh; it says to REJOICE. Now, why would the Lord tell us to rejoice? It’s because enemies will try but never triumph over us. Adversity lets you know, as a child of God, that you are doing this thing right. It lets you know that you are close to all God has for you. Most importantly, it lets you know that your reward is great with the Lord. Let God use all meant for your bad to sharpen, strengthen, and establish you. Don’t allow those who persecute you to distract you from your purpose. It’s okay not to be a doormat. It’s okay not to allow others to walk over you. It’s okay to defend yourself when in God’s will (please do). It’s okay to stand against unrighteousness, but it is NEVER okay to allow the evil of others to make you evil.

I want to encourage you to keep going, keep believing, and keep God first, above all else. Vengeance is His, and He doesn’t half do anything He does. Love, because our God is love! Don’t allow bitterness to reign in your life. Rise above it; as a matter of fact, you’re already above it. Rejoice!