Seek Revenge or Seek Him?
I remember a Pastor I once sat under, told me “Nikki, the best revenge is good living”. At the time I couldn’t fathom “good living”, my world was falling completely apart. To be honest, I couldn’t imagine living at all. Someone had told me they were “going to destroy me”, and they were seemingly doing exactly that. I was a complete mess. How in the world would I be able to get any type of revenge? The thing about me is that I am not a vengeful person, by any stretch of the word. No matter how much I wanted to, I could never bring myself to reciprocate what was being done to me; and this “good living” seemed far from possible given the circumstances at the time.
So what did I do? Well, it may be hard for some to believe but I simply let God fight my battle, and not because I was so super deep, but because I was super desperate and I had no fight in me. I didn’t just let God fight my battle and go sit in a corner, I did my part too, I went a step further and prayed for the ones set out to destroy me. Literally on my face with my whole heart praying, putting their names in the prayer request box, and saying their names on prayer calls. There’s something so powerful about being able to genuinely pray for those set against you. The healing that comes from seeking God for the good things concerning those that only seek the adversary for the bad things concerning you. Also, don’t pray for God to change them, instead pray for God to change how you allow them to affect you, because YOU control that! In situations when I could’ve made them feel even an ounce of what I had to endure, I did the opposite. I became accommodating, compromising, cordial, literally smiled at and showed love to my enemy. There were definitely times I didn’t feel so loving, after all I am human and there’s only so much a person can take. I definitely got caught slipping a time or two, and my mouth is a pure mess when that happens (just being honest). I wouldn’t stay in the negative space for long though, no matter how many times I would find myself fighting to not be pulled back in. Still not succumbing to the temptation of getting malicious revenge, I would check myself, atone for my wrongs, and continue back on the forgiving and forgiven path. Still accommodating, still loving, and I would try my best to maintain and protect my peace. Many around me said I shouldn’t have been so forgiving and understanding, but the thing is when you know God got you the weight lifts off of you. You are free to just be, free to just live, and because you didn’t lift a finger to get any payback, you kept your conscience clear and your karma good.
They may still be mad, they may still slander your name, they may still tell their lies, they may still set out to destroy you, they may still hate you, they may still villainize you. They may even be so blinded by their own disdain towards you that they see everything you do and say as an attack; even when you do nothing, but rest assure it’s not because of what you did do, but because of what you didn’t do...which is become who they wanted you to become, the ugliest version of yourself and a direct reflection of their ugliest self.
When the attacks set up to take you out, wind up pushing you further into your purpose, that my friends is sweet revenge. When they pray and wait on your life to fall apart, only to see it just keeps getting better and better, SWEET REVENGE. When you get out of your own way, turn your eyes to the Father, and relinquish all burdens to Him, He will make sure it all works out in your favor. Light always wins against darkness. When darkness goes where only darkness can go (low), let light take you high.
Karma ALWAYS comes back around. The question is will it be good or bad when it does? That all depends on what you put out. What you sow. Are you sowing good seeds or bad ones? What are your intentions, are they to build up or to tear down? When you reap what you’ve sown, will it be destruction or peace? Will it be reward or rebuke?
This is going to encourage someone, no matter what they’ve done don’t you dare lift a finger to do it back. Change the way you view revenge. Listen, I’m not perfect and have had to really press into Him when my adversary was pressing into me. I have had to come down off that ledge of “let me just get them back this one time” so many times. It was so worth it, because I don’t have to look over my shoulder expecting bad I put out to come back to me. I have grown to experience a Father (in Heaven) who fights for us. I can testify, repeatedly to this! He IS the ultimate defender and protector of our minds, bodies, and spirits. I couldn’t see it then, but I see it now, just simply living good and living for God has served me well! It’ll surely do the same for you.
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”~ Romans 12:19