You don’t have to look far to know “getting even” is trending in America. We have become a nation of victims who need to punish other people for what we’ve experienced. Look at how often people sue one another, and worse, notice how often a disgruntled employee returns to the place of employment with a gun.
How do you and I overcome feelings of revenge and anger toward others? How do we follow what Jesus said and leave behind a world filled with hurt and resentment?
First, fill your heart with the words of Jesus. Read and reread passages such as Matthew 5:38-42. Let Jesus’ words touch your heart. Take these words and others and let God write them on your heart.
Second, ask God to overcome your feelings. God is pleased when we ask Him to help us change. He wants to make us new. When we pray to be new and different, He will answer. Your prayer to love and be kind is His will and according to His name.
Third, follow the example of Christ. He despised the shame and for the joy set before Him, endured the cross. Take His example and follow it. He lived as a sacrifice for others.
Fourth, refuse to dwell on your hurts. When you begin to brood about how you’ve been treated, renounce those thoughts and replace them with different, Godly, and wholesome thoughts. Think about things which are pure and just.
Fifth, practice gratitude. One of the old hymns tells us to count our blessings, name them one by one. The tune may be out of date but the exhortation is spot on. Living a life of gratitude will change most everything about you.
Finally, fix your eyes on Jesus. He is our guide and our help. As we emphasize His work, we will have defeated the angry, hurtful thoughts which harm us and the people around us.
You can receive one of my daily devotionals in your inbox by subscribing at the top of the page or by going to the homepage of waylonbailey.com. It’s a free ministry, and I hope you will sign up and become a part of my ministry across the Internet.
If you find this helpful, please share with your social network.
10 Responses
Simple, yet BRILLIANT God-seeking prayer and advice!
Dr. Bailey is awesome!
My problems come when I do things my way; my solution comes when I do them His way. Thanks for your comment.
From William Law’s “A Serious Call To A Devout and Holy Life,” Chapter 22: “There is nothing that so powerfully governs the heart, that so strongly excites us to wise and reasonable actions, as a true sense of God’s presence. But as we cannot see or apprehend the essence of God, so nothing will so constantly keep us under a lively sense of the presence of God as this holy resignation which attributes everything to Him and receives everything as from Him.”
Thank you Dr. Bailey for the reminder to press on, as I continue to seek victory over the evil one employing the power of God per Romans 8: 28. Evil intent is turned into the Power of God via the individual understanding the battle; His Glory revealed for His who have eyes to See, ears to Hear. To God Be the Glory Forever! AMEN.
Blessings
Thanks for the reminder about a devout and holy life. We can have as much of God as we want.
I love the way you phrased it “Getting Even Never Gets You Even.” What a difference it would make in the world if everyone who has that “Getting Even” mentality realized getting even or getting back at someone who may have wronged you is really harming everyone, and the situation, much more. God revealed to me some time ago while I was dealing with difficult situations that getting even was the wrong response. The Holy Spirit led me to the verses in Romans 12 that say “But If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.” The lesson that came to that experience for me was the part about heaping fiery coals on his head. In treating an individual that has wronged me with kindness, love, respect, honor, and humility in my reaction to their wrong behavior towards me, I completely confused them because they expected a different reaction. They expected a retaliatory reaction and they were so confused they did not know how to counter back. And boy it works well. It helps everyone involved! Thank you Pastor.
Thanks for a good lesson about a response that pleases God and helps everyone involved.
Bob,
I gave previously herein the understanding of Dr. R. E. Glaze, New Testament Professor of Greek, regarding the coal. I verified its practice in Israel, as the last gracious act: investing in the guest who shared the fire: to facilitate life in the guest’s new place. Fire is energy: the central benefit which sustains life in the camp then and now. Christ is our “Fire,” our Life.
Thank you Dr. Bailey for the reminder to “press on;” To continue to seek victory over the evil one: employing the power of God per Romans 8:28 and the entirety of chapter 12 in Romans. Evil intent is thereby turned into the Power of God via the individual understanding the battle, being joined as One in the Body of Christ; His Glory revealed for His who have eyes to See, ears to Hear. To God Be the Glory Forever! AMEN.
Blessings
Waylon was it you that said “be hard on yourself and easy on others”..I like that. What helps me to be easy on others is remembering who I was before Christ saved me. The only good in me comes from Him so that helps me go easy on others.
Yes, but I probably repeated it from others. We should all remember who we were and who we would be without Christ. We should also see that those without Him are just . . . lost. I am so thankful to be found.
Good day! This post could not be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my
good old room mate! He always kept chatting about this.
I will forward this article to him. Pretty sure he will
have a good read. Thanks for sharing!