Matthew 5:38-42 "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away."
One thing should be abundantly clear to us by now. We need to be careful about acting on things or forming opinions because of what we have heard someone say. Regardless of what we have heard, we need to look to the Lord to guide us in our actions and reactions. If our behavior is contrary to God’s word, it does not matter who else may sanction our course.
I remember years ago a situation arising that really upset a younger me. It made me incredibly angry at the time. My Dad asked me what had happened, and I told him that someone had made me angry. I have never forgotten his response: “Did he make you angry, or did you choose to be angry?”
The lesson here is not that we should be anyone’s punching bag. Rather, it is that we take heed to ourselves that we do not set out on a path or revenge. We have heard it said that revenge is a dish best served cold. The Lord of glory tells us that it is something we have no right to serve at all. We can certainly defend ourselves from physical attack, but we are never to pursue a situation with the idea that we will “get even.”
Dear ones, if we let revenge take control of our lives, it indicates that we do not fully trust God. His word tells us that vengeance belongs to Him and that He WILL repay (Deuteronomy 32:35, Romans 12:19). God will always recompense revenge in His righteousness. This is far better than us seeking revenge in our anger. May God bless us to trust Him!