Revenge is Poisonous
I have often heard the phrase, “Wishing revenge on someone else is like you
drinking poison and expecting them to die!” A revengeful heart eats the love and
life right out of you! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to become a Christ-follower and all
our negative thoughts would go down the drain like dirty dish water? That would
uncomplicate so many things on this journey called life, but life is not that easy.
Christ-like maturity is a process of growing and becoming more like our Father
God.
Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his
cross daily (die daily) and follow me” (Luke 9:23 ESV). “And those who belong to
Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal. 5:24
ESV). In order to be more like Christ, it is necessary to die daily to passions,
thinking, and actions that don’t line up with scripture.
What does it mean to die daily? It is becoming aware of the fact that our bad
habits, unclean thoughts, negative patterns, wishing ill-will on others, and pointing
to other folks’ wrong doings must change. My dear grandma used to always say,
“When you point the finger at someone else there are four finger pointed back at
you.” With that being said, we still feel justified to hold bitterness in our bosom
like we wrote the rule book on ‘our rights to be this way!’
In our heart of hearts, we may feel we have all these ugly rights, but what does
God’s Word say about the matter? That is where dying daily comes into focus. The
Word of God will cause us to put down our weapons of revenge, our mean
attitudes, our anger, and bitterness that we have held over others, and to comply
with His will. Spending time in prayer, reading the Bible, thinking and speaking
the truth of God’s Word (Joshua 1:8), and having a sincere mindset to change can
cause change to come about. Not only is this pleasing to Christ, but it will also
allow people to see Jesus in our life.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new
has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and
gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to
himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them” (2 Cor. 5:17-19 NIV).
I could go on with many more scriptures, but this is not meant to be a Bible Study.
Instead, let this be a revelation about our thoughts and actions toward other people.
I truly admit not everyone is lovable or likeable, but that’s where prayer and
having the word of God in our hearts and minds comes in. Some situations require
more prayer and word than others, but Jesus is right there to give us what we need.
“I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for
anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I
am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]” (Phil. 4:13 AMP)
drinking poison and expecting them to die!” A revengeful heart eats the love and
life right out of you! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to become a Christ-follower and all
our negative thoughts would go down the drain like dirty dish water? That would
uncomplicate so many things on this journey called life, but life is not that easy.
Christ-like maturity is a process of growing and becoming more like our Father
God.
Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his
cross daily (die daily) and follow me” (Luke 9:23 ESV). “And those who belong to
Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal. 5:24
ESV). In order to be more like Christ, it is necessary to die daily to passions,
thinking, and actions that don’t line up with scripture.
What does it mean to die daily? It is becoming aware of the fact that our bad
habits, unclean thoughts, negative patterns, wishing ill-will on others, and pointing
to other folks’ wrong doings must change. My dear grandma used to always say,
“When you point the finger at someone else there are four finger pointed back at
you.” With that being said, we still feel justified to hold bitterness in our bosom
like we wrote the rule book on ‘our rights to be this way!’
In our heart of hearts, we may feel we have all these ugly rights, but what does
God’s Word say about the matter? That is where dying daily comes into focus. The
Word of God will cause us to put down our weapons of revenge, our mean
attitudes, our anger, and bitterness that we have held over others, and to comply
with His will. Spending time in prayer, reading the Bible, thinking and speaking
the truth of God’s Word (Joshua 1:8), and having a sincere mindset to change can
cause change to come about. Not only is this pleasing to Christ, but it will also
allow people to see Jesus in our life.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new
has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and
gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to
himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them” (2 Cor. 5:17-19 NIV).
I could go on with many more scriptures, but this is not meant to be a Bible Study.
Instead, let this be a revelation about our thoughts and actions toward other people.
I truly admit not everyone is lovable or likeable, but that’s where prayer and
having the word of God in our hearts and minds comes in. Some situations require
more prayer and word than others, but Jesus is right there to give us what we need.
“I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for
anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I
am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]” (Phil. 4:13 AMP)