There are so many things going on in the world, in our countries, in our communities, in our lives and even in our homes, that sometimes draws out deep desires for revenge or some kind of need to get even. Terrible things happen around us daily and it can be hard to stay humble and kind when evil laughs in our faces.
So many innocent people get hurt, so many vulnerable lives are mistreated, and we can’t help but crave justice, sometimes even having dark thoughts about what we believe punishment should be for these trespassers. The evil in this world has driven people to do unthinkable things and encountering these acts through what we hear, read or see can drive us mad.
People from anywhere in the world can find themselves at the receiving end of these crimes, but taking South Africa for instance, where our country is plagued with violent and gruesome farm attacks, to name just one of the many cruelties, it is not very hard to understand why some people may be filled with anger and rage when these things happen, especially when those victims are family members or neighbours.
How many children are raped and murdered every day, how many innocent young children are abducted and sold as sex slaves, doomed to a life of suffering, how many innocent people are shot and killed in crossfires from rival gangs and the list just goes on. It is just not that simple to have no need for revenge at all.
These things almost always raise a question, a question dreaded by most Christians. Why does God allow these things? From the beginning, at the very start of it all, there is one thing God gave us and never took away and that is: free will. What would His creation be, how would we have every really experienced this deep, moving, mind-blowing true love with our creator if it was never really our choice. Could you image a life with no free will? Would it be any life worth living at all?
God does not do these things to people, He does not want these things to happen, He does not look away and He is not ignorant of the terror this world is in. He has already gone above and beyond to save us from the hands of the enemy, despite what we have chosen to do with our free will, and He has given us everything we need, to crush hell in our lives.
We can only see now, understand now, but now is only such a short while compared to what He has saved us from, what we cannot yet understand or comprehend. He is our peace now, our light in the darkness and our Hope of Glory.
Now, revenge, that hunger for justice, that need to somehow try and make things right. There is judgement and there is justice, but there is only One worthy of that seat, there is only One who is blameless and just in all His ways, fit to hold that gavel. Not a single one of us could ever take that place, for it does not matter if we have slightly overstepped that line or if we have carelessly stormed over it, we have all stepped over that line in some way or another (Romans 3:23).
Romans 12:19 reads: “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” Jesus has modelled a life for us that we should strive for, that we should build and commit in ourselves every day.
God wants for us to love and reach out, forgive and bless instead of curse our enemies, despite how difficult it may be, He wants this, not because it should all just be forgotten, no, but because we should not be a reflection of the world around us, instead, we should be a reflection of Heaven.
Someday it will all be made right, and we will be delivered from all of this. Then we will come to a final cross road, where we can no longer choose and there we will see that no evil has ever been forgotten, ignored or overlooked, all the tears of the innocent has been saved and the blood of the helpless still cries out for justice.
Our God is a righteous God and His heart is burdened with the suffering His children endures on this earth. There, justice will come and no pain you could ever experience on earth will compare to what He has for those who abused their free will on this earth. God heals all wounds of all those who have suffered, whether it is here on this earth or at His feet in His Kingdom.
He has not forsaken us, and He sees our suffering. Do not take revenge, do not let hate and anger consume you, give it to the Father, forgive to be forgiven and rest assured that His wrath will come for those who repeatedly denied Him, those who made His children suffer.
Blessings in Christ, Miryna van As