Daily Devotionals

Bride and Gloom Week 3: Saturday

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back," says the Lord. Instead, "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads." Romans 12:19-20

Our human nature wants fairness. We want revenge when things are not fair or right. We want people who have hurt us to be hurt. We want things to be even. While this is in our human nature, revenge never serves us. It leaves us cynical and jaded. It also makes us mean if we let it. The truth is revenge is not the way of Christ. If we want relationships that honor Christ, we must let go of this revenge and let Christ fight for us instead.

Paul encourages us to be people who are quick to forgive in Romans 12. He writes, "Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them" (verse 14). This was radical teaching. In a world where revenge is "sweet," and payback is popular, God calls us to let go. Paul continued teaching, explaining why we do not have to take revenge. He wrote, "Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, 'I will take revenge; I will pay them back,' says the Lord" (verse 19). We do not have to take revenge because God does that for us. He rights the wrongs done against us and fights for us. That is so much better than us trying to take revenge. Paul tells us that instead of taking revenge, we are to care for the people we disagree with and show kindness. The chapter ends by saying, "Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good" (verse 21). This is a better way than revenge. We trust God to fight our battles and love all of the people around us well. 

Revenge may feel tempting, but no one ever wins with revenge. We will never regret loving people well in the name of Jesus, even when revenge is tempting. Is there a conflict in your life where you have wanted to take revenge? How can you apply this teaching from Romans 12 today? How can you show love and care instead of revenge? Don't forget that God is fighting for you, and that is even better!

Moving toward action

Memorize Romans 12:14. Let this verse remind you to let go of revenge and trust God to take care of you instead. Let Him fight for you and trust Him with the results.

Going Deeper

Romans 12:1-21 (NLT)

"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

9 Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all!

17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone."